Dreamcatcher - Rise of the Spider Sorceress
by FuzzyBeta
Summary: Olivia "Via" Summers was no one. She had no past, no home, no family. Until one fateful night when an old woman gives to her a little dream-catcher and her life changes forever. With all the mystic arts, strange doctors, cryptic sorcerers, violent zealots and inter-dimensional entities will Via crack under pressure, or rise to the challenges that await her? (rated T for safety)
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: A Crow to Pluck**

 _Fate._

 _I didn't believe much in it when I was younger. I used to just think everything that happened to me, everything that made me what I am today, was all just coincidence and circumstance._

 _But I know better now._

 _What happened that night was meant to happen, at least it was meant to happen here in this universe I belong to._

 _Just as you were meant to read it in yours._

* * *

It was raining heavily over New York City.

The downpour was so bad that barely anyone wanted to go outside, save for the few who just needed to run a couple of meters across the smaller streets.

It was in one of these smaller streets in Queens that a small hooded figure quietly dashed down. They puffed as they quietly slid under the protection of a covered shop doorway, clutching a tattered satchel close to their chest just as thunder rumbled overhead.

"Just a little. There we go" a girl's voice muttered as the figure made to slide down some stairs and under the protection of a shop doorway dug down below the pavement.

The establishment was closed, the curtains shut over the windows. Nobody would care if she was sitting there. Besides it was better than a dumpster, and a lot less odious.

"I don't mind spendin' everyday, Out on your corner in the pourin' rain. Look for the girl with the broken smile. Ask her if she wants to stay awhile. And she will be loved, and she will be loved*" the girl hummed quietly, yanking down the dark hood to run a hand through sopping wet golden curls.

As she did so, blue eyes surveyed the rainy surroundings shrewdly, both darting each time there was a noise that wasn't water on the ground or roof.

* * *

 _Ok let's hit the pause here for a second, and by second I probably mean a couple of minutes._

 _Okay maybe not that long but I'll probably get soaking wet by the- oh Christ! This breaking the forth wall is harder than I thought._

 _Damn Deadpool for making it look oh so easy!_

 _Anyways I think you can probably guess who I am by now._

 _Yep that's right._

 _I'm the loser in the rain with the bad clothes and an even worse body odor._

 _Not that that was my fault. I mean come on, it's not easy to take a bath when you've got no bathroom, or any room anywhere to crash._

 _Besides it's not like there' was anyone there to notice._

 **"Hey"**

 _No one except_ _ **her**_ _that is._

* * *

With a yelp the girl leapt out of the doorway and back into the rain, staring wide eyed at the face of an elderly woman that had suddenly appeared in the doorway, staring out at her with narrowed eyes.

"Just what do you think you're doing?"

The first impression the young girl had, was of an old decrepit bird, such was the sharp extremely wrinkled face of the elderly lady. Her slender eyes too were dark and beady and stood out sharply from her deep red skin and snowy white hair, wisps of which fell over her shawl clad shoulders which hunched as she hobbled out on a short walking stick.

Though the top of her head only reached the young girl's shoulder she still emanated a great presence, one which made the younger female stay rooted where she was and not run like she was so tempted to do, even as she bleated.

"who-who're you?"

"My name is Fala and whilst we're on the subject of names who are _you_ and what are you doing in front of my shop, girl"

"I'm-I'm Via. And I'm not doing anything on your porch ma'am. I-I just needed to get out of the rain, honest." the girl Via blurted out sheepishly, gulping as the dark beady eyes narrowed to slits as they looked her up and down.

After what felt like an hour (though it was probably more like half a minute) Fala sighed and shook her head.

"Is someone coming to pick you up?"

"In this rain. Not likely" Via snorted before adding under her breath "Not that anyone would come anyway."

"You don't have a family?" the old woman frowned and the girl just shrugged and turned her back on her.

"Listen lady this chit chat is fun and all but I've got to find another place to crash. So, sorry to bother you, I'll just-Whoa!" Via spluttered as something hard reached out, hooked over her arm and swung her back around.

She stared in surprise at the small smug smirk spread across Fala's face as she tugged hard at her walking stick, which in turn tugged Via right back to face her.

"Um…ma'am I'm sorry but could you just-gah"

Where the old woman got her strength from, Via did not even know, nor did she have time to question it as she was tugged her down to eye level and placed once more under that piercing stare.

"Hmm…interesting" the old woman mumbled as she considered the girl's eyes. Both orbs were a bright clear blue, that sparkled even under all the grime and grit of the city with a bright spark.

The old woman's face softened considerably and her grip on her walking stick relaxed somewhat, though her voice was still a harsh coarse rasp.

"That's very interesting. Say my dear, how would you like a nice cup of tea. I daresay it would ward off those chills from the rain"

Via didn't even have time to respond as she was all but dragged inside the door which shut with a definitive snap behind her back.

* * *

 _Yeah so that happened._

 _Typical!_

 _It's just my luck the town crazy lady decides to take me in for the night._

 _But if you thought that was the weird it's nothing compared to what's coming up next._

* * *

"There you go, nice and hot"

"Uh…thanks…" Via frowned as a cup of very hot tea was pressed into her grip, almost burning her fingers on impact.

 _YEOWCH! Hot-hot-hot! Damn! What did she heat this up with? A nuclear reactor?_

Quietly as she could she took a tentative sip of the drink, and set it down in her lap. It wasn't bad, but she just wasn't a tea person. Also, she didn't want to burn her tongue off.

Her hostess however did not seem to notice as she bustled around the small kitchen, her walking stick banging around and hitting the lower shelves with loud thuds and clangs.

 _It's a wonder her neighbors get any sleep at all_

Via glanced up at the ceiling above and then to the room around her. Along the walls shelves upon shelves of crystals, amulets and bottles of powdered things that Via wasn't sure she wanted to know, sat motionless. And then there was the clutter of strange silver and golden instruments that surrounded her chair and the store counter or hung above her head along with many different dreamcatchers.

"Ah…That's the stuff"

Via quickly turned just in time to see the old woman fala, bumble through a curtain of beads that hung over a small doorway before plonking herself down in the chair behind the shop counter and taking a large swig of tea.

"So Via, tell me where do you come from?"

"I…I uh…don't know. Here in New York I guess" Via mumbled, keeping her eyes firmly fixed on the wall behind the woman's head. "Uh nice place you got"

"Oh it's small, but I make do" the old woman waved her off, keeping her eyes fixed on the younger girl's face, studying it, analyzing every feature.

"You were orphaned when you were very young weren't you?" she frowned.

"How did you-" Via spluttered but Fala just steamrolled over her, wrinkled brow furrowing if possible even deeper than before.

"You said no one was coming to get you. Then there's your satchel. You pack light and your shoes are well worn, which means you've been walking for more than a day, perhaps weeks. I could continue to list all the contributing factors to your situation, but I believe you understand the gist of things"

"Of course I do. Jesus lady were you Sherlock-ruddy-Holmes or-or a detective in your past life or something"

"Neither." Fala smirked, her dark eyes twinkling from over the rim of her mug as she took a sip "I am only what I am"

"…o…kay?" Via gulped glancing around again for anything that could distract her from those piercing eyes. Eventually her blue gaze found a box just behind the opposite side of the counter.

"What is wrong child?" Fala asked quietly and Via gulped.

"Th-that box. The one behind you"

"Hmm? Box? Ah you mean this?" Fala's smile widened warmly as she reached behind and pulled out the box.

It was small and seemed to be woven of something reed like with golden web like patterns over blue, but that wasn't what had Via stumped.

No.

It was the fact that there was a humming sound coming right for it.

"It is made from birch bark and porcupine quills" Fala said, oblivious to the anxious expression on her young guests face as she quietly slid off the top cover "Lovely I'll grant you, but not as pretty as what it contains."

"And it contains what exactly" Via frowned as an old wrinkled talon like hand reached into the box and pulled out…

* * *

A woman paused in mid step down the old stone stairs of the Monastary.

She was a strange woman, tall, with a bald pale head covered by the hood of her golden robes, which crinkled as she twisted around to search for the source of her disquiet.

And there it was. Like a tiny note on a piano except this instrument was playing from so far away it almost seemed like a distant echo. And yet at the same time it could be heard crystal clear through the fabric of time and space. It was the tiniest of hums.

"Hmm…odd…now why would she be doing that?" the woman murmured softly to herself, just as footsteps sounded beside her.

She turned sharply but quickly relaxed as she saw who it was.

A dark man, with dark hair and dark clothes that included a long green tunic. His eyes, keen and sharp were quick to find the woman's as she asked.

"How is the good doctor? Settled into his rooms well I hope?"

"As well as could be expected." The man smirked, but his face fell into one of concern as he caught sight of the slight stiffening in the other's face. "What is it? Has Kaecilius made another move?"

"I'm not sure" the woman murmured, more to herself than the man "but I must go to New York tonight"

"New York?" The man frowned in confusion "But the sanctum there is-"

"It is not the Sanctum I go to." The woman cut across him firmly "No…rather I need to pay a visit to an old friend. I have some questions that need answering."

"Would you like me or one of the other masters to accompany you? If Kaecilius discovers you're there alone he might-" the man asked quickly but the woman shook her head and he fell silent.

"That will not be necessary. I will not take long. Kaecilius will not even know I was there. In the meanwhile, keep watch over the Doctor, something tells me his first night here will be difficult"

* * *

"A dreamcatcher?"

Via blinked as she looked down at the small circular woven work. It was only five centimeters in diameter, with three small feathers attached to the bottom with golden beads whilst a short cord of thin leather looped up from the top. The net in the middle was like the spider web of the box that the trinket had come from, only it had a small bright blue bead set in the center, that glinted in the dim shop light as Fala passed it over.

"Pretty trinket, isn't it?" the old woman smiled, but her eyes were still ever watchful as she kept a close eye on her young guest's fingers.

"I guess, I mean, I don't know much about dream-catchers or anything-" Via shrugged and Fala chuckled softly.

"Not many people do. You see child, the dream-catcher originates from the Ojibwe people, of whom it is said were protected by a being called Asibikaashi, the Spider Woman. To put a long story short, Asibikaashi used her powers she took care of the children the land, however when the people spread around the country protecting them became difficult for her to do on her own. So, to help her, the mothers and grandmothers of the children wove magical webs from willow hoops and sinew. With these nets, the dreams of the children would be filtered, only allowing the good dreams to enter the mind whilst the bad disappeared with the rising of the sun."

"Sounds like a lot of people got a lot of good night sleeps then huh?" Via snorted as she turned the small dreamcatcher over in her fingers.

"I see you are skeptical of magic and mysticism" Fala's smile faltered ever so slightly.

"No. But kids like me, we don't have that luxury of believing in things like myths. Especially since neither gets bread on the table or in our stomachs"

"Perhaps you are looking for dreams in the wrong places"

"Perhaps" Via shrugged "but another luxury us kids out there in the gutter don't usually have is time to ponder our lives like the good normal peeps up here, let alone waste our time dreaming"

"I see…that is a shame then."

"Yeah…yeah it is"

There was a silence as both girl and old woman just gazed down at the tiny dreamcatcher, both their eyes misted over as they mulled things over in their heads.

Eventually it was Via who broke the silence as she looked up to peer out the shop windows.

"Oh…it's stopped raining"

Fala blinked and followed the girl's gaze outside.

"Indeed it has" she conceded after a small pause.

Via however did not pay her much heed and instead stood quickly up.

"Right…I believe that's my cue. Thanks for the tea and the sit down but I've got to get a move on. "

"And where will you go?" Fala asked quietly and Via just shrugged again.

"Dunno. Wherever the wind, or my stomach, takes me I guess. Oh yeah, here you probably need this back"

At first Fala thought the child was trying to offer her a handshake, then she saw the dreamcatcher in her palm.

She opened her mouth, shut it, then smiled and reached out to the young girl's hands…only to curl the girl's fingers around the small net gently.

"No. You should keep it." She smiled gently in response to the surprise on Via's face "After all a young girl like you could use a few good dreams. Who knows maybe they will lead you to where you need to go"

"Perhaps. But then again maybe not" Via smiled, sheepishly trying and failing to mask the embarrassed flush on her cheeks. "I don't usually have much luck with those kinda things"

"Maybe now you don't." Fala shrugged "But who knows, the future is not set in stone, and a new day is on the morrow, one with new possibilities"

"If you say so" Via smirked as she quickly tied the leather cord around her neck and tucked the dreamcatcher under her grubby T-Shirt.

"Well then…uh…thanks for everything. And for not y'know leaving me out in the cold and rain. That was mighty decent of you"

"It was nothing child. Truth be told I was glad for the company than anything else" Fala nodded as she held open the door and let the young girl out.

"Well…thanks and g'night" Via bobbed her head as she lifted her hood to cover it, completely missing the slight golden gleam in the depths of the old woman's eyes as she smiled softly.

"Good night child. May you dream well and safely tonight"

* * *

A man stood in the shadows of a building fire escape, eyes keeping watch on the street below like a hawk as a small scrawny person hopped out into the wet but no longer raining streets.

 _Just an unfortunate soul of the street._

He mused taking in the height and build of the figure.

It was a child, a girl no less, in her early teens.

Despite his composure his heart clenched a little. Had time and fate been kinder to him in the past, his son might have been about her age by now, maybe even a couple of years older…

 _No. Don't think about the past. Keep yourself in the present._

The man quickly shook his head out and watched the small figure quickly make to bob her head quickly to a hunched shadow in the doorway, who quickly looked up to his spot.

Had he been a lesser man he might have been alarmed by her perceptiveness. But Kaecilius was no ordinary man, just as Fala was no ordinary elderly lady.

With a quiet grace he jumped down from the fire escape landing catlike on a closed dumpster before quickly hopping down into the alleyway below.

As he strode out into the street he looked about himself, stiffening ever so slightly as the young teenager from before spared him a glance as she passed him by.

Underneath all the scruffy dirt of the street, two bright blue eyes took in his golden tunic and his grey ponytail. But even as her eyes met his sharp ones, the girl's grubby cheeks flushed pink with embarrassment before quickly vanishing into the shadow of a black hood as she off to the alleyway that he himself had just come from.

"Scaring young ones Kaecilius? Such behavior is unfitting of a master such as yourself."

"Yes it would be unfitting if I were still a master. But the company you chose to keep is no concern of mine old friend."

Kaecilius turned to face the shop door where the old woman Fala stood, her smile wide and inviting but her beady eyes piercing and focused.

"Ah…so you wish to peruse my collection, do you? If that is so, then perhaps you might like to come inside and we can discuss terms more comfortably"

"That will not be necessary. There is only one relic of true value here, and we both know you will not part from it so easily"

Fala's smile vanished, to be replaced by a scowl that made her face look (if possible) even more bird like than ever even as she raised her arms.

"Whoever said I would ever part from it at all?"

The corners of Kaecilius's lips curled.

He didn't want to do this...but he had no choice.

After all he'd made it this far, and now there was no going back.

* * *

Via was only a couple of alleys away when she felt the first tremor. At first she just thought she'd tripped over a piece of garbage. But even as she regained balance and began to run towards a fire escape she felt the ground shake and her legs buckled.

"What the hell?" she cursed, barely stopping herself from falling over as the ground rippled beneath her feet.

 _Wait…RIPPLED?!_

"Just what did she put in that tea?" Via wondered as she watched the asphalt on the ground literally rise and fall like water ripples in a pond.

And it wasn't just the ground. The walls of the building too vibrated, though their occupants didn't seem at all perturbed by the motion.

It was like a silent shock-wave had just been blasted from an invisible bomb.

A bomb that had just come from the direction she had just left…

The direction of Fala's shop…

"Come on Via listen to your head." Via hissed to herself as she prodded her own temple "Heart gets you in trouble and head keeps you alive…and talking to yourself in the middle of the road" she added glancing around herself as if expecting someone to pop out from behind a dumpster with a straight jacket.

But no one came. Or at least no one came from the dumpster.

Rather someone ran around the corner.

Someone who looked an awful lot like that strange man she'd just passed by, only his grey hair was perhaps a little disheveled and his hands and tunic were stained with red.

The man stopped in his tracks as he stared at her, and then stared at her chest.

Via looked down but only saw the small dream-catcher sitting gently over the front of her sweater.

She looked up quickly and was alarmed to find the man already charging towards her.

"Shit!" she yelled as she began to scramble back, only jumping out of the way just in time as the man leaped upon her.

He almost grabbed her ankle with his bloody hand as he rolled on the ground and smoothly back to his feet, but Via was just too quick to jump on top of the dumpster next to her and up onto the half-drawn ladder of the fire escape just above it, up two flights of stairs and straight through a glowing orange ring of sparks.

"GAH!" Via squeaked in fright as suddenly gravity began to pull down on her midriff and her hair and hood suddenly fell back from her face.

"HOLY MOTHER OF-AHHH!"

She screeched like a banshee as she looked down only to find herself hanging upside down on the ladder, her back many, many meters above what looked like the top of another building.

There was the crunching of footsteps and Via looked back up only to see to her horror her attacker in pursuit of her climbing skillfully his way up to her fast.

 _Gotta get away! Gotta get away!_

With wide eyes, she looked down to the roof of the building below her.

It was a long drop but she'd much prefer taking her chances getting squashed like a pancake than getting killed by a weird ninja fast guy or whatever he was.

"I must be insane" she whimpered, as she let the railing go.

She saw the man staring at her from the upside-down in surprise as she fell, down, down, down and…

She lurched mid fall as something like a human hand grabbed at her hood and tugged hard.

At the same moment, the calm soothing voice of a woman breathed in her ear.

"Hold on child"

Via barely held back from vomiting as she was quickly tugged sideways, the field of gravity changing so that now it was beneath her feet as she and the person pulling her stumbled through a ring of sparking and fizzing orange energy, away from the strange upside down world...and away from her would be killer.

* * *

 **FuzzyBeta:**

 **Hi Guys!**

 **So whilst this hasn't been my first MCU fanfiction (I made some Avengers/Thor ones a year or so back and just recently deleted them), this is still my first fanfiction for Doctor Strange. I've always been a marvel fan but it was only till i heard the movie was coming out this year that I finally started looking through Doctor Strange and i fell in love with it, especially after i saw it in cinemas! So if there's any big Doctor Strange Fans reading this feel free to point out any inconsistencies or mistakes with the facts (but please be kind because i'm still pretty new).**

 **Also just to keep things clear I've tried to keep the facts about dream-catchers and Native American Folklore as simple as possible, but if there's anything wrong or incorrect feel free to point it out and i'll see what i can do about it (As i don't want to offend anyone by accident). And while we're on the topic of ethnicity the name Fala is Native American and means Crow.**

 **Well if that's all okay and good to go i hope you guys enjoyed reading the first chapter, and i also hope you liked my OC (who i will try to make as Non-Mary Sue as possible).**

 **Please fave or review if you liked ;)**

 **FuzzyBeta OUT!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Strange Introductions**

 _Right so where are we now?_

 _Oh, yeah I met a creepy shopkeeper, got given a weird dream-catcher charm which some weird ninja looking murderer just tried to take from me. I fell through a portal into a twisted version of the city in which I live and oh now a strange bald lady in gold just tugged me through another magic portal and into another weird place that I have never ever seen before in my life._

 _Yeah…my life is pretty weird at this moment in time._

 _And it's only going to get weirder still._

 _Or dare I say it_ _ **Strange**_.

* * *

Doctor Stephen Strange shivered slightly as he stepped out into the courtyard.

It was the dead of night but the lamps were still burning and a couple of people were walking about on the balconies of the monastery high above him. However, they took no notice of him as he walked below. They obviously had more important things to be worrying about.

Stephen could even see two of them, a master and a pupil working late into the night. Both appeared to be in a martial arts stance with glowing rings sparking off the end of one's fists whilst the other had a smooth ring of energy.

Stephen shook his head as he looked down at his hands.

Both were shaking. Both were hurting.

He quickly turned back to watching the lesson on the balcony.

He seen some weird things in the past twenty-four hours. He'd just been forced through several dimensions with astral projection and forced to see burning mandalas literally formed from nothing in midair by seemingly very human beings.

But nothing could've prepared him for the shock of something bright sparking off close to his shoulder.

Leaping aside he gazed astonished as a sparking whirring ring of energy suddenly materialized and two figures stepped through.

Or rather the woman known as the Ancient One walked through calmly, pulling her fellow traveler through till they stumbled backwards onto their behind.

Through the portal, Strange just caught a glimpse of a man running towards them from what appeared to be a dark twisted city before it shut promptly in his face.

He turned back to the Ancient One who was now leaning over the stranger she had brought, murmuring softly as she smoothed a hand over their back.

"Wha-what j-j-just h-h-happened?" a young voice spluttered and Stephen stared down at the figure in surprise.

It was a girl. A young teenage girl.

She couldn't be older than fifteen or fourteen at most.

Under the grime that covered her she had an innocent looking face, from which bright blue eyes twinkled like a pair of lapis Lazuli. Her hair was blonde, but what with all the matting and the dirt in it he couldn't tell the shade

Her clothes too tattered, oversized, worn consisting of baggy dark jeans, a blue tank top and a faded black hooded sweater with a half vanished golden Nike logo on the front.

She was a pretty little thing he supposed, or at least she would be if she were sufficiently cleaned up. And by sufficiently he meant a lot because by god she smelled of wet dog and desperately needed a bath. And some food, he noted as he took in her pale and very thin wrists.

He couldn't understand why, or indeed how the Ancient One had picked up such a stray, but he wasn't going to ask. Not when the dark form of Mordo suddenly ran into the courtyard and asked the very same thing.

"Finally you have returned. The New York Sanctum is in uproar. Something about Fala's shop on fire and-who is this?"

"Fala took her in for the night just before she was killed. I found her being chased by Kaecilius himself through the mirror dimension." The Ancient One said her voice tinged with sadness as she held the young girl to stand shakily on her feet before leading her forwards to Mordo's grasp.

"Mordo take her to Kai at once. Make sure she is well settled, then join me and the other masters. We must hold council at once. Doctor Strange if you wouldn't mind accompanying them? Maybe keep an eye on her?"

Stephen blinked. Had he been in his right frame of mind he might have scoffed at the idea of having to babysit a teenager, and probably would have voiced such opinions quite vocally.

But then he caught sight of the fear in the girl's face and the way she shook from head to toe, her eyes darting like a frightened rabbit as Mordo gently led her away.

"Uh…sure?" he murmured not liking the knowing way in which the Ancient One's eyes twinkled knowingly as she watched him leave.

"So…." she murmured as sorcerer, doctor and girl finally vanished back into the sanctuary.

"Olivia Summers… this should be interesting…"

* * *

Via barely paid much attention to where she was going as the dark man in green (Mordo, she remembered) led her away from the courtyard and into what appeared to be a very old Buddhist (she was just taking a very wild guess) temple.

Her mind was more focused on the other man following them, the one that the weird woman in gold had called Doctor Strange.

 _Well strange was one way of putting it._

Via bit down on her lip as she chanced a glance at the man who was following her and Mordo at a brisk but cautious pace.

He was tall and had a thin angular face, covered in dark facial hair flecked with grey that most certainly needed a trim. His eyes were sharp but tired, and Via could just see in the corner of her eye, his fists shaking slightly as they swung with each stride.

He was wearing all white, the cloth cut in similar tunic and pants style to Mordo's own green clothes. Despite the fear of her bizarre and terrifying situation Via couldn't help but feel embarrassed as she glanced down at her own grubby shoes, which were so worn that they were literally hanging by threads as she was led down a set of stairs and into a room lined with beds.

Beside one of them at the far wall an elderly man of Asian descent and a younger woman who looked just like him, both wearing red robes, were busy tending to a teenage boy lying in repose on the bed before them.

"It's always the younger ones. Reckless, the lot of them." the man shook his head ignoring the woman rolling her eyes with fondness at him.

"Well you can't say he wasn't eager to learn"

"You say eagerness but I say it was definitely more impatience. Ah Master Mordo is there anything I can help you with." The old man clipped as he caught sight of the new visitors.

"I do believe you can Kai." Mordo nodded with a small smile as he gently pushed Via by the shoulders to stand in front of him.

"Ah…Another stray then" The old man Kai smirked as he stepped forwards took in the girl's haggard appearance and then to Stephen who stiffened under that gaze. "And two of them. The Ancient One must be in a good mood."

"Actually she is very worried and waiting to hold council to which I must attend." Mordo corrected holding the girl steady as she flinched away from Kai's imperious gaze.

"Then I shall do what I can at once. It does not do to keep the Ancient One waiting. Yue!" Kai barked and the woman, Yue came rushing forwards at once.

"Yes Father?"

"This girl will be under your charge for tonight. Tend to any injuries, then bathe, clothe and feed her and make sure she gets rest. Mister Strange, if you would follow me."

"It's _Doctor_. Doctor Stephen Strange" Stephen grunted automatically only to scowl as Kai waved him off.

"Of course. Now come here and sit down boy"

As she was being led away, Via couldn't help but smirk slightly as Stephen grumbled something under his breath.

It had been a long time since someone had called him a boy. Heck it had been forever since anyone had treated him like a child (not including the Ancient One). Needless to say, he wasn't enjoying it as he was forced to sit down on a medical bed and show his scarred shaking hands to the old man.

"Tch! You've been straining these too much too soon" Kai grumbled as he carefully examined the longest of the scars that went along the back of Stephen's left middle finger, making him wince.

"Nerve damage is extensive. The pain must be excruciating; I'm just surprised you haven't voluntarily chosen to amputate them. But then again it's difficult to let your hands go as a surgeon"

"how did you-" Stephen spluttered in surprise and then shook his head with a snort "Tch! Never mind, I'm sure telepathy comes with the mystic job description"

"Hardly" Kai rolled his eyes "Telepathy is a skill only the masters can attain and even then, it takes years for them to master before they can peruse others minds at will. But where some choose to read minds in their free time, I prefer to read medical journals."

Stephen's eyebrows rose as the old man held up a familiar looking but rather old edition of one of World Medical Association journals on which his own face smirked back from the cover, clean, sharply dressed and smug.

The sight made his gut churn uncomfortably and he averted his eyes away as if the sight of the text burned him, only to hiss as his hands were turned over again.

He vaguely wondered how the kid was faring and if she was going through as much torture as him.

Then he figured that anything was probably better than whatever had just happened to her.

He sighed.

This was going to be a long wait.

* * *

"So Fala has passed the Web of Asibikaashi onto this girl?"

"it would appear so Mordo" the Ancient one muttered to her charge as both him and her strode away from the meeting.

"Any particular reason as to why she would do such a thing? She's just a child-"

"So were you when I first took you in" The Ancient One cut across him softly but firmly, her hands twisting about the folding fan in her grip. "But there is one thing in this child that I have not yet seen in many of our other young students"

"And that is?"

"Power. Lots of raw power" the Ancient one's lips pursed into a thin line. "and what's more someone's placed a seal on it to keep it from showing. But now that she's been thrust into this life I'm afraid it won't last long. She was able to sense Kaesilius's magic when he destroyed Fala, even though it was supposed to remain hidden in the mirror dimension."

"But that could also have been because she was wearing the Web of Asibikaashi" Mordo reasoned "I've read it sometimes allows its bearer to sense mystic energies and forces even in the different planes of existence."

"If you had read further then you'd have also noted that the Web of Asibikaashi only grants its powers to those it deems worthy. And those that it chooses are often very powerful beings. The fact that Kaesilius was after it only proves that either he was trying to recruit Fala or-"

"Or take the Web for his own" Mordo nodded with understanding "So he's amassing an army, or at least he's expanding his artillery of relics and that can only mean one thing"

"He plans to go ahead with the ritual" the Ancient One clipped, her face turning stony "It will be a while before he can acquire the power necessary to evoke such an incantation. But even so we must remain vigilant"

"Yes we must"

* * *

 _Y'know people don't usually tell you that to get somewhere great you must go through a lot of pain sometimes._

 _For me, just simply getting **clean** was darn painful. _

_True I had managed to scrub my own skin raw from head to foot, but my hair was a completely different matter. Literally it took that Yue woman a good solid half hour just to get the first scrubbing of shampoo in._

 _Eventually I solved half the problem by cutting most of the ends off, leaving me with just enough to cover my ears and head. I could tell Yue wasn't happy with me, but so what?_

 _Hair is hair. It would grow back eventually…even if it meant me looking like I was half a blonde poodle for a while._

 _Anyways enough about my hair problems and onto the rest of my "settling in"._

 _Once I was cleaned I was given a new set of clothes to wear. White, like that Doctor Strange guy._

 _Seriously who calls themselves Doctor Strange. If my last name was Strange I wouldn't waste any time changing it to something different unless I craved being the butt of so many jokes, especially if I was at school._

 _Anyways back onto me and my getting dressed._

 _So yeah I wasn't allowed to keep my other clothes and was told they'd be thrown away at once._

 _They did however let me keep that weird dreamcatcher and my bracelets._

 _Oh yeah, totally forgot to mention those._

 _I have a pair of gold bracelets, or at least it's one bracelet that can be split into two separate ones. Both are flat and engraved with strange markings, and end with the heads and tails of dragons. When the bracelets are combined, they look like they're biting each other's tails._

 _Yeah pretty cool._

 _I've got no idea where they came from because neither have any markings to show the manufacturer. According to my file back at the orphanage, they were with me since I was left on the doorstep, when the stupid matron decided to keep them tucked away and sell them…eventually. Y'know it's kinda odd she always said she'd give them away, but she couldn't even stand to touch them or look at them for some reason, not that I see why because I think they're kinda pretty._

 _Anyways I managed to sneak them back out when…well I'll leave that story for another time because right now I sense someone_ _ **strange**_ _is on the move._

 _Oh, yeah…I'm bringing out the Strange jokes big time (pun totally intended)._

* * *

Stephen watched, half amused, half disgusted as the young girl before him roughly shoveled down spoonful after spoonful of food with an almost dog like enthusiasm.

He didn't think he'd ever see a human being so ravenous for food.

Especially a girl. Not that he didn't believe there were females with extraordinary appetites, but it still was a surprising sight to see the young teenage blonde before him manage to pack away nearly three large helpings of thick hearty chicken stew.

 _Then again she's not exactly at the peak of health_

His inner doctor winced as he caught sight of the scrawny wrists that peeked out from under a pair of strange dragon shaped bracelets.

Where the girl had gotten them from he had no idea. His head was sneering that she must have stolen them, but even as he looked at the tokens he felt unease.

Though shining gold there was something about the bracelets that made him want to recoil. It was as if something was forcing him to be pushed back and not just him but everyone in the room.

No. No normal human being would ever want those bracelets no matter how beautiful they appeared.

He was distracted from his dark thoughts by the sounds of the girl as she tried to cover up a small belch.

"Sorry" she mumbled, her cheeks flushing dark as he spared her a look of mild disdain that quickly turned into a small frown.

"When was the last time you ate kid?"

"Three days ago, not counting the tea I had earlier" she muttered as she took a swig of water.

"Do you often get much food wherever you're from? Or is it…um…are you from-"

He trailed off and the girl set down her spoon with a small scowl.

"Okay first off, the name's Via, like _Vee-ah,_ and not _kid_. Second, don't start with all the pity crap tones with me, because I've frankly heard enough of that to last me a lifetime and thirdly I come from New York just like you so there's no need to talk to me like I'm some foreigner from another planet."

 _So much for trying_

Stephen now scowled too though more with frustration and scorn.

He was trying to be delicate about the situation.

He had never been good with younger people or kids, and often never liked to deal with them. He never had much patience to begin with and being stuck in a room with one who had just been traumatized by teleporting through dimensions to escape what appeared to be murder was certainly not something he was equipped to handle, world famous neurosurgeon or not.

It was with every amount of self-restraint that he reigned in his frustrations to only a sneer.

"Listen here, _kid_ I'm not from New York I'm from Nebraska. I studied medicine in New York-"

"Oh wow, you studied medicine in New York City." Via hissed with venom. "And let me guess, mommy and daddy paid the bills to get you in"

"Actually I got in on a scholarship. And while we're on the topic of parents where are yours and why aren't you in a rush to get back to them?"

"Listen, just because you think you've got privilege doesn't mean you get to lord it over others" Via snapped as she set her food aside. "I bet you only saw the patients that would get you the big cash rolling in"

Stephen gripped the arm of his seat so hard that his fingers ached with the hurt. But he didn't let it deter him.

Rather he let the pain burn through him and charge him with enough energy to spit out:

"At least I earned my money honestly. I wouldn't be surprised if you stole those two gold things from a foster home you stayed in"

"Care to repeat that again old man?" Via snarled and now Stephen could see the fire burn in those bright blue eyes.

He opened his mouth to retort only to stop as he heard a soft cough from behind him.

Both he and Via wheeled about to see Mordo standing there, arms folded and smirking with amusement as he looked upon them from the infirmary door.

"Oh please don't stop on my account" he chuckled at their surprise. "Your insults whilst crude, are quite entertaining"

"I'm sure" Via clipped quickly picking her food back up and beginning to chomp on it again. This time however she ate slower and made to turn away from Stephen who rolled his eyes as he made to stand up.

"Going somewhere doctor?" Mordo quirked a brow.

"Yeah my rooms. As you can see the brat obviously doesn't need a babysitter anymore." Stephen scowled deeper still as he glowered at the back of the short head of blonde curls before striding out the door and out of sight.

Mordo shook his head, but did not argue or make to stop the Doctor. Instead he looked to Via, who looked back to face him her face strained, pale and tense.

"The Ancient One will see you in the morning when you are rested. She is interested to hear your version of tonight's events"

"And then what will happen?" she asked, her tones far quieter than what she had uttered in Stephen's presence.

"You will most likely stay here in Kamar-Taj under our protection. Unless there is somewhere else you are needed?" Mordo prompted gently.

There was a pause as Via quietly shook her head, her face set save for her lip which trembled ever so slightly as she murmured.

"No…no here is okay."

"Very well then. Masters Kai and Yue are almost finished talking with the Ancient One and then they'll come check in on you before you go to sleep. Seeing as Doctor Strange is no longer available, would you like me to sit with-"

"NO!" Via snapped only to quickly shut her mouth and wince as she whispered "S-Sorry. I-I meant no thanks. I'm okay. In fact, I'd rather be alone for five minutes. Collect my thoughts and all."

"Very well then." Mordo nodded and turned to leave, jaw clenching uncomfortably as he heard the first sniffle through the closing door behind him.

"So?" a shadow asked softly from a few meters away.

"She is…scared. Frightened by what she's experienced. It will certainly be a while before she warms up to anybody here" Mordo said as the Ancient One came into view, her pale face calm and contemplative.

"An interesting choice of words, considering there were definitely some sparks flying between her and the doctor."

"Yes, but if they add any more heat to their arguments I fear that they may burn down this sanctuary" Mordo snorted hollowly.

The Ancient One only smirked.

"Not all fires are violent and destructive Mordo. They just need the right fuel to burn as they should."

"And if they do not, then what? He is arrogant, headstrong and impatient and she is fearful, cynical and abnormally powerful."

"Perhaps." The Ancient one nodded quietly. "But something tells me that these two souls are far more alike than even they understand. Who knows, perhaps all they need is the right push in the right direction,"

"And that direction would be?" Mordo asked, eyebrows raised but the Ancient one only shrugged.

"That old friend, is for them to realize for themselves. But rest assured that when they do discover it, both will finally begin to heal one another"

"Or destroy each other" Mordo muttered darkly.

"Maybe. Maybe not. But when it comes we'll know"

The Ancient One smirked as in her mind's eye she saw both Doctor and girl settle in for the night in their beds, both scowling but both more peaceful than either had ever been for a very long time.

* * *

 _Yeah so that was how I met Doctor Stephen Strange._

 _And it was surprisingly one of the most normal things that had happened to me that day._

 _Seriously._

 _I am not joking._

 _That was like the most ordinary thing in a day filled with strange ladies, a murderous sorcerer and finding out in general that magic does in fact exist (even though I can't learn it at Hogwarts), that had happened to me all that day._

 _And it would perhaps be one of the few ordinary things to happen to me for a very long time._

 _So savor it while it lasts guys, because from here on out everything gets absolutely, positively bizarre._

* * *

 **FuzzyBeta:**

 **hey guys me again. so yeah that was chapter 2.**

 **Yeah it was a bit of a rocky start between Via and Strange.**

 **At this point in time Strange is still the arrogant bitter man he was at the start and not yet the wiser and more understanding sorcerer supreme, just as Via is still very much a kid with very bad social skills and emotional control. This being the case, I figured that in a more realistic situation neither would be easy to get along with and would each be as prickly as a cactus. (lol i can just imagine Doctor Strange, Cactus Supreme, prickly goatee and all XD).**

 **Anyways hope you guys enjoyed and review if you want more.**

 **P.S. Special thanks for the current reviewers, especially _A_ layna Wood's one about the grammer** _._ **it's** **always nice to get constructive tips from other fellow readers/writers, especially when it helps you write better stories.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Making Room for Adjustments**

 _Right so I left you guys where I had just fallen asleep for my first night off the streets._

 _Well let me tell you the morning came much too quickly for my liking._

 _It seemed one minute she had been falling asleep in a comfortable bed in a strange but cozy infirmary and the next I was standing in front of a pair of sliding doors behind Mordo awaiting entry to see a person known as the Ancient One._

 _From the way Mordo spoke about this person it seemed they were extremely old and powerful (Gee I wonder why), and that somehow they were the head of this temple place called Kamar-Taj which was in Tibet._

 _That's right I said Tibet. As in "halfway-around-the-globe-away-from-New York-and-instead-in-Asia" Tibet._

 _When Mordo first told me where I was that morning, I almost actually spat out half my breakfast into his face and fainted. Thankfully the doctor or healer (or whatever his title is), Kai could calm me down before I had a full-fledged panic attack._

 _I know it sounds rather stupid but come on. You would freak out too if you'd just figured out you'd travelled halfway across the globe simply by stepping through a glowing ring for a few seconds. Especially if you had not believed in magic till that point in time._

 _It was a good thing I was too astounded by where I was because believe me, meeting with someone as powerful as the Ancient One really made me nervous._

* * *

Via gulped as she sat on the floor before the calm composed bald woman before her.

She had a kind face, Via supposed, kind and strangely ageless.

Via had never thought someone could look like that in her life. In New York people's faces seemed definite and in sharp focus but looking at the Ancient one was like looking through a slightly blurred window. She could tell what it was behind the glass but just couldn't put her finger on the details.

And then there were the eyes.

The Ancient One had strange eyes. Clear and bright but at the same time shrouded by experience and secrets.

It was these eyes that were currently examining her shrewdly as their owner poured two small cups of herbal tea.

"Thank you" Via mumbled quietly as she took a small sip. She could taste something bitter that almost made her wince, until she tasted the small hint of honey.

"You're welcome." The Ancient One smiled softly as she too took a small sip and set her tea down beside her. "Kai has looked after you well I see. Did you get a good night's rest?"

"Yeah…I did." Via nodded.

"You have many questions about what happened last night." The Ancient One said quietly and despite herself Via snorted loudly.

"Yeah well…it's not every day I get chased through magic portals by a strange psycho ninja-wizard covered in blood."

"No I suppose not" The Ancient One chuckled softly. "Tell me child. What's your name? Your full name." She added as Via opened her mouth, only to shut it, gulp nervously and mumble.

"Olivia. Olivia Summers"

"I see, tell me Olivia. Before you roamed the streets where did you live?"

"An orphanage." Via bit her lip, bristling slightly. It had been a long time since anyone had used her full name and she wasn't sure she liked it. But she held her tongue as the Ancient One continued to probe further.

"In New York?"

"Yes."

"For how long?"

"Since as far back as I remember" Via shrugged "I mean according to my file I was just dumped as a baby on the front steps with nothing except well…these"

She held up both her wrists on which two golden dragons wound around securely.

The Ancient One's face fell ever so slightly at the sight of the two objects.

"These were with you when you were left?"

"Yeah…apparently. Unless I read the wrong file" Via frowned in confusion "Why? Do they mean anything to you?"

"That depends of what you define as meaning" The Ancient One's fingers stroked a folding fan in her lap delicately. "In old Welsh mythology the two red and white dragons entwined in the sky were symbolic of great conflict and battle. However, twin dragons entwining to create one whole could be seen as symbolic of balance-"

"-Like Yin and Yang- Sorry." Via blurted out before she could stop herself, but the Ancient one only smirked amusedly.

"Don't be. You are correct. Though for what kind of balance your dragons symbolize I do not know. But perhaps with time and patience these runes," she pointed to the small engravings etched into the flat metal "-may reveal something."

"And this?" Via pointed to the small dream-catcher that hung around her neck. "What can you reveal about this? And why was that guy after it?"

"Ah yes, the Web of Asibikaashi." The Ancient One almost scowled as she eyed the item. "A powerful magical relic that is imbued with old mystic energies…"

The Ancient One's lips pursed into a very thin line, and Via could see her eyes swirl with pain and disappointment.

"The man who pursued you is named Kaesilius and he is an ex-student of mine. Proud, arrogant, eager to learn. He excelled fast through his studies of the mystic arts and attained the rank of Master. However, the rank and duties of the Masters still wasn't quite enough to quench his thirst for power or for knowledge. A few months back he and a selection of our younger acolytes decided to break free of our ranks and leave this sanctuary, stealing some of our most valuable spells from our library along the way. Since his departure, it appears he is continuing to search for more relics and spells of ancient and powerful sources, such as the one you wear around your neck. And seeing as he sought to go after it on his own, it can only mean he sees it as rather important to add to his personal arsenal"

"Why? What does it do?" Via tilted her head.

The Ancient One did not answer at once. She just her fingers fiddling with the folding fan again in her lap.

Finally, after a long half minute of silence the she sighed heavily.

"That is a question that I can only answer in part. I may only give away some secrets now, and the rest when you are ready. Only then will you be able to fully understand and appreciate the magnitude of the burden you bear. But for now, I urge you to be content with this. Like all the other few properly woven dream-catchers, the Web of Asibikaashi will protect you from the evils of nightmares while you sleep. It will also grant you powers of the Spider Mother herself. What these powers are, I do not know completely. The only one who fully knew its secrets was Fala its previous bearer, but she is now dead. But do not fear. You are in a place of sanctuary and learning, whatever you uncover here will be kept secret from those who wish harm and whatever mistakes you make along the way can be solved with the guidance of mentors and teachers." She added her eyes twinkling again as she turned her head to the door.

"Mordo would you come in please?"

Via turned eyes wide with surprise and admittedly a little fear as Mordo stepped through the sliding door. The way he entered made it look like he'd been standing there for quite some time, in fact he looked as if he had not moved since dropping her off inside.

 _So he heard everything_

Via groaned in her head though she did her best to keep her face impassive as the Ancient One gave the Master Sorcerer orders to take Via to a set of rooms.

"Are you sure?" Mordo murmured glancing sidelong at the girl, his eyes slightly nervous. "We have more than enough space in the junior's quarters-"

"I am sure" The Ancient One nodded, her small knowing smirk returning to her face. "Besides, granted what's happened it would be best to keep her as far away from _him_ as possible. At least not until she's formed a solid bond with others first, and someone needs to set an example."

"But who will be setting an example for who? That is what I worry about" Mordo hissed and the Ancient One's smirk only widened.

"We shall see in due time"

Via bristled. She wasn't sure she liked the sound of that last comment.

Truth be told she wasn't too sure she liked the Ancient One either.

She may have been calm, patient and a guiding presence but there was something about the secretive gleam in her eyes that made Via…uneasy.

And not in a good way.

* * *

 _So, there I was…walking out alive from my first meeting with the Ancient One. Mind you that wouldn't be the last time we'd have a little "heart-to-heart" chat but more on that later._

 _Besides you'll probably be more interested in what happens next._

 _Now get this. Mordo's walking me to my new living quarters and telling me how things run. Thankfully I was not going to be the only teenager studying magic, or as he calls it the_ _ **Mystic Arts, (**_ _whoo so fancy sounding)._

 _No as a matter of fact there were several teenagers around my age, and slightly older who have a place here at Kamar-Taj. Whilst most of them are kids of some of the sorcerers living here, there were also a few who are orphans like me, so at least I wasn't the only one of my kind._

 _But that was where our similarities would most likely end. You see most of the junior acolytes who were orphans usually stay in shared rooms close to one another on one of the corridors close to the kitchens._

 _I on the other hand was being sent to share one of the smaller apartment like living spaces for the adult students that was close to the infirmary._

 _Why was I being sent there?_

 _I'm so glad you asked…_

* * *

Whilst Karl Mordo wasn't too supportive about the arrangement for young Olivia Summers' stay in the Kamar-Taj, he had to admit that seeing the hilariously horrified face of Doctor Stephen Strange had just made his day.

"No!" the Doctor cried out angrily as he stood protectively covering the threshold of his doorway. "No way am I going to be sharing my room with that little-ngha!"

He was so frustrated he could barely get the words out of his mouth as he gestured frantically to Via, who stood behind Mordo, arms folded and rolling her eyes.

"Listen here geezer I don't want to be here anymore than you do. But rules are rules and if sharing a room with you means not sleeping on the streets tonight I'll do it. Even if I have to see your hairy mug on a daily basis" she added darkly.

It took Mordo all his strength not to laugh as the red skin under Stephen's beard flushed red with anger as he huffed.

"Fine that's it! I'm going to see the Ancient One. She cannot be serious if she expects me to share a room with this…this _brat_!"

And with that the Doctor stormed off leaving Via and Mordo standing in front of an empty doorway and an open room.

"Well this should be interesting" Mordo mumbled, more to himself than to anyone else.

"You're really getting a kick out of this aren't you?" Via snorted and Mordo smirked.

"A kick out of Strange? Yes, I am. A kick out of your predicament, not quite as much. I just hope the Ancient One's judgement is right and you are tough enough to wear him out, because heaven knows I wouldn't be. And I'm the master that is supposed to help train him"

"Should I prepare a eulogy or would you like me to improvise at your soon to be funeral?" Via giggled, the sound only growing louder as the older warrior quirked a brow at her. But the expression was more a fond one than serious even as he replied

"It won't ever come to that. When I die, it will be in battle, and not when training another arrogant student who thinks the world of himself. Now come let's get you settled in"

"You won't have much of a problem with that" Via snorted holding up her tiny satchel.

It was perhaps the only thing of her past life she'd been allowed to keep with her. It had barely anything at all in it, save for one or two books (which she had salvaged from a dumpster and were in surprisingly good condition), a worn-out hairbrush, a small tin water mug and a small old fashioned Kodak camera. It, like the books, had been thrown out into the trash wastefully with only a couple of the thirty-six exposures used, or at least till Via had gotten her hands on it.

Now she only had six exposures remaining. Six shots she was going to save for precious moments.

 _Make that five shots now…_

She smiled softly to herself an hour later.

Mordo had quickly gone to the kitchens to get some food, leaving her alone to sit in the room.

All her stuff was now on a simple bed on the wall opposite the window and the second bed that was shoved into the corner. Via could see that Stephen had taken ownership of it, for unlike her untouched corner his already had several knickknacks littering the bedside table.

Most of them were small everyday objects, a razor for shaving, a high-tech tablet computer and a bottle of pain medication. But what really had Mina's interest was the shining watch that gleamed in the sunlight.

Its face was broken, the hands not moving, but the strap was still mostly undamaged, save for a couple of scratches along the clasp.

Curiously she turned it over and was surprised by what she saw.

Instead of a manufacturer's engraving there was a-

"Hey! Put that down!"

Via jumped and almost dropped the watch. She was quick to catch it, but not quick enough to escape the furious hiss as it was roughly yanked out of her hands by a very angry Stephen Strange.

"Give that here"

"Ow-hey I'm sorry man-" she bleated as she was shoved away, but Stephen did not register her for one second as he smoothed a finger over the broken surface.

Once he was sure that there was no damage done, he glared at Via, pure wrath etched over every line in his face.

"Don't you _dare_ touch my stuff _ever_ again. You hear me?"

"I hear you very loud and very clear" Via glared back.

"I mean it, brat" Stephen spat, and indeed Via winced as she felt a fleck of his spit actually hit her eye. "If I catch you even come near my bed or my things, I will turf you out of this room and never let you back in. I don't care what that Ancient One says! I will not have some-some guttersnipe like you trapesing around in my space."

"Why because your space already has your disgusting frame in it?" Via laughed, but the tone seemed far more hollow and dark than what was expected from her young face.

The sound of it was enough to surprise Stephen into backing away ever so slightly, much to Via's savage pleasure as she took a brave step forwards and poked him hard in the chest.

"Listen here Old Man, I'm here to stay. Whether you like it or not. You may have been a top dog back in your safe little bubble of New York, but out here in the _real world_ it's a _very_ different story. If you screw up here will usually be ten other dogs in the alleyway that will be waiting to tear you up to shreds and eat you for breakfast. You should be thankful that I'm currently the only dog in the alleyway behind you right now because quite frankly I wouldn't touch you with a ten foot pole even if you paid me. Now if you don't mind I'm going to the bathroom, unless that space is out of bounds too?"

Stephen just blinked stunned as the young girl before him suddenly turned on her heel and marched into the small bathroom but not before poking her head back through and snarling.

"OH and by the way, I don't know who that Christine woman is, but whoever she is, she sure doesn't deserve your stupid sorry ass"

And with that the door slammed shut in his face, leaving Stephen to sit and stare in a state of shock just as Mordo came in with food and sighed heavily.

* * *

 _Yeah…I know we argued again._

 _Or rather we just both made total asses of ourselves for no real good reason other than we both just couldn't stand the sight of one another._

 _I mean come on can you blame me for being pissed. Back then Stephen was an absolute jerk (and sometimes he still can be), and he often took what he had for granted._

 _And if there's one thing that pisses the crap out of me, its people who don't appreciate what they have and waste it away for meaningless shit._

 _Hence why I spent most of my first time in the bathroom screaming with frustration into a towel, unknowing of what I had caused to unfold next._

* * *

"Barely one day. One day and I'm already putting out more fires between those two than half the students in my beginner's Sling Ring classes" Mordo sighed heavily as he and the Ancient One roamed around the courtyards.

It was evening, dusk was falling and the last lessons for the day were wrapping up. But even though Mordo had not taught any lesson at all today, he still felt as drained as if he had taken on all the demons of hell all at once.

"I swear" He pinched his nose to suppress a yawn "Those two don't need spiritual guidance. They need a referee."

The Ancient One just smirked amusedly.

"You find this funny?" Mordo asked incredulously.

"Whilst I understand your concern I must admit, the situation is somewhat entertaining" The Ancient One chuckled softly, more to herself than to him "But I would not continue to stress yourself over the matter. Doctor Strange may be a fickle and difficult person to deal with, but Olivia will not be so easily oppressed by his overbearing controlling nature. On the contrary I believe her free spirit will thrive on the challenge just as his will be tamed and reeled into where it belongs"

"Yes well, I still think she should be with the younger students" Mordo persisted carefully "If only because she should socialize with others of her own age. From what I heard of your discussion, hers must have been a lonely existence before last night."

"It was." The Ancient One nodded gravely "But so was his. Perhaps not in the same way, but nonetheless both were quite alone when they came here"

"Do you really think they will balance each other out?" Mordo looked up to the sky, and was calmed ever so slightly by the sight of the stars peeking out over their heads to twinkle in the twilight.

"We shall have to wait and see" The Ancient One followed his gaze, her smile softening. "Once they begin their studies, things might change."

"Yes indeed they shall" Mordo's face suddenly lit up as a thought suddenly struck him. "I cannot wait to see what Wong makes of the two of them"

"Neither can I. Now come we must go to dinner. Let's see if you could keep some fires from starting up again at the table" the Ancient One's eyes gleamed smugly as she turned to walk back into the building an exasperated Mordo following hot on her heels muttering something about being a warrior and not a nursemaid.

* * *

Dinner had been a quiet affair for Stephen and Via. Or at least somewhat quiet. Everyone in the dining hall had been talking and chatting amongst themselves, occasionally looking both their way as they sat on either side of a very tense very guarded Mordo.

However, if the warrior had been expecting a blow up between the two reluctant roommates he was surprised. Neither of them seemed to want to even look at one another, let alone talk to one another.

One the one hand it was a welcome change to his already strained ears. On the other hand, it meant a far less enjoyable dinner as both moodily kept picking at their plates. Or rather Stephen picked whilst shooting sneaky disgusted glances at Via who was wolfing down her food with the gusto only a hungry teenager could muster.

Once dinner was finished, Mordo then walked them back to their room, doing his best to ignore the stares and the whispers from the younger acolytes and other masters who had yet to see the newcomers.

Only the healers Kai and Yue, and the Ancient One exchanged any pleasantries, and there was even one younger male student who took one look at Via and stopped in his tracks as she met his gaze, only for him to bang headlong into an older master.

Not that Mordo could blame him.

Now that she was cleaned up, Via's pretty appearance was clear as daylight for anyone to see. And indeed, in the dimly lit corridors she did seem to shine like daylight what with the way her short golden locks and her clear blue eyes glistened as she walked.

How nobody had wanted to adopt such a pretty looking girl was beyond Mordo's understanding. Having trained many an orphan himself and he knew ordinary people could be pretty shallow when choosing which child to take into their family. Most people would have naturally gravitated towards the nicer looking ones and pay very little heed the regular or less attractive ones.

For Via not to be chosen as she was…he had to admit there was something odd about that, because unless she had a serious problem that he could not see, he didn't see any reason as to why no one would take her in.

 _Or maybe it's not her at all…_

He mused, his eyes glancing down towards her wrists where the dragon bracelets sat gleaming.

He could practically smell the mystic energy flowing off those bands from a mile off. A strong spell, designed to ward people off and keep its subject safe. Someone had obviously cast it to keep the girl away from danger, only to have it reject everyone and everything normal around her.

 _Perhaps that is what was causing the Doctor to be so hostile towards her_

He reasoned in his head. But even as he chanced a small glance between the two, he knew it was untrue.

No, whatever beef the two of them had with one another wasn't because of mystic means, it was because of a clash in personalities too big for their own good.

He could only hope they both lasted the first night together, or else there would be hell to pay tomorrow morning.

* * *

The pain.

The pain in his hands.

Stephen winced, trying and failing to suppress the grunt of pain as his eyes shot open.

It was still dark. The room was still, with only a cool breeze fluttering through the moonlit window.

The feel of it brought little relief to the doctor as he turned over onto his back, holding his hands up in front of his face.

He bit his trembling lip hard as he caught sight of the many harsh scars in the white moonlight, blurred slightly as each finger trembled with the effort of moving. The fingers that had once led him through surgery after surgery with dependable fluid dexterity…ruined…

How…just how could he have sunk so low?

He shut his eyes tiredly, only to jump as he heard someone sniffle behind him.

 _Oh great! The brat's awake and watching me_

He growled sitting up to glare across the room, only to stop dead in his tracks.

Via was awake and sitting up in her own bed, but her back was turned towards him and she faced the wall beside her. Her legs were curled up and she had her head buried in her knees, her eyes streaming as she quietly sobbed into them.

Stephen just stared stumped at the girl in astonishment. Up till that point in time she had almost always been more brash and brazen than a bull. Especially that afternoon.

Stephen would never admit it out loud, but despite her youth and shortness she did look somewhat powerful and mighty when she was pissed off.

Now however she looked…she looked tiny and frail, like the next gust of wind would just knock her over and break her in two seconds flat.

The thought made his gut churn uncomfortably.

This was precisely why he didn't like dealing with kids. He just didn't know what to do with them when they were upset, especially if they were crying.

And yet despite this unease, a small part of him could not help but nag him gently to do something to help. He blamed his inner life-saving doctor for this suggestion.

It had always been the soft point of his psyche and often led him into trouble and pain than was worth. Trouble like caring too much about the patients…and his co-workers…or rather one co-worker…

 _No don't think about that. Just ignore her and get back to sleep._

But even as he tried to turn away and ignore the sniffles and sniffs, his hand quickly shot out to a small packet of tissues he kept on his bedside and threw it across the room.

Via squeaked as the soft plastic packet hit her head and bounced onto the mattress beside her. She wheeled around quickly, eyes wide with panic and streaming with tears, just in time to see her roommate roll over onto his side with his back facing her.

"Hey-"

"Just shut up and clean yourself up" Stephen grunted, gruffly over the top of her "and get to sleep. We've got a long day tomorrow and I don't want to have to worry about you falling asleep as you stand?"

"I don't see how that would be your problem" Via sniffed, her voice thick as she scrubbed hard at her eyes and gulped down on a sob.

"Because, if you did I would have to carry you to the infirmary and we'd probably miss the rest of our classes. Now would you just get to sleep" he snapped, but Via could hear the slight wince as she saw him cringe in pain for a moment but then quickly relaxing.

Stephen rolled his eyes as he heard her shuffle around on her bed behind him, sniffing and blowing out into the tissues he'd given her. Well it wasn't much, but still, it was better than having to listen to her sobbing all night.

Eventually when it sounded as if she'd finished she chucked the packet back his way. He turned his head, irritably expecting it to land on his face, only to be pleasantly surprised when it landed smoothly on his bedside table instead and a small voice mutter.

"Thanks"

"…you're welcome" Stephen muttered, hoping she couldn't see how red his ears were in the night air. Then he suddenly smirked and added " _Olivia_ "

"It's Via" Via groaned as she flumped back down onto her pillow muttered a small grunt of "Whatever, stupid old man" and shut her eyes.

Despite himself, Stephen smirked and shut his eyes, not noticing the pain in his hands for the first time in months as he fell into a deep dark sleep.

* * *

 **Fuzzy Beta:**

 **And so that is chapter 3. more development and more exhausting arguments. (and i put poor Mordo in the middle of them)**

 **I have been (oddly enough) inspired by the release of _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ , if only because it's rekindled my love for the Harry Potter Books and movies.** **There are a great deal many quotes from J.K. Rowling's works that really have stuck with me and helped me mature as i (hopefully) grew up over the years, and two of them really helped me in the writing of this chapter, each for a different reason.**

"If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals."― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

"It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends." ― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

 **The first quote of course applies to Doctor Strange and how we can understand his character through the way he is seen to treat others. The next one probably applies more to Via. Even though she and Strange are not quite friends, she is still bold enough to tell it like it is to him and to anyone who tries to piss her off, friend or foe.**

 **I guess if you really want to screw around and really mix up the fandoms you could say this relationship is bound to be as rocky as a friendship between a Gryffindor and a Slytherin (and i think you could guess which one is which ;).**

 **Anyways hope you enjoyed and keep reviewing for more.**

 **FuzzyBeta Out!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Falling with Style**

 _Somebody sound the trumpets and get the fanfare! Send word throughout all the kingdoms of the world…along with all the non-monarch led governments and countries (because hey they're important too)._

 _Because peeps, this is the day where I took that first step to start my education (in which I probably made a complete ass out of myself), in understanding the secrets of the Mystic Arts._

 _Whilst it has taken me nearly two whole years to advance from an Acolyte to a mere Apprentice level sorcerer, I still have some difficulty understanding some of the mysteries that surround the strange world, or rather multiple worlds, that I am duty bound to watch over._

 _But every time I feel the pressure I just take a deep breath and a good long look back into my memories of this first day and am relieved to see how far I came and how it was all worth it._

 _Back at the time however, all I could look back on in the short term was just how much it hurt to have your butt kicked in a sparring match…and by how much it sucked to be the new kid amongst a group of immature teenagers._

 _Oh yes._

 _Even in the world of sorcerers and mystic arts, there are still jerks and prissy queen bees as well as nerds, the loners, jocks, emos…I could continue to list all the high school stereotypes but I think you get the gist of it._

 _I could only be thankful that I only had my theory lessons with the other kids my age and not my sparring or practical magic lessons. Those I took with a mixed age group ranging from young teenagers to adults, including my new roommate Doctor Stephen Strange._

 _Though things may have been rough between us I gotta admit, I was glad to have him with me that first day. I don't think I would've coped without his snarky sarcasm, or his "cheerful" mood to stop me from wallowing in my own insecurities (though don't tell him I said that. He may have improved since then but I still don't want to risk stuff going to his still very inflated head)._

 _Why would I be thankful to have him next to me? Well it all started at breakfast that morning…_

* * *

"Stop doing that"

"Doing what?" Via glowered across the table at Stephen from her bowl of half-finished porridge.

"Playing with your food" the doctor grunted as with shaky hands he made to carefully shovel a spoonful of his own bowl into his mouth. "Its bad table manners, and, you aren't going to get any food in if you keep doing that."

"Since when did you start caring about my eating habits?" Via scowled but nonetheless stopped fiddling and began eating normally.

"Since the Ancient One forced me to live with you" Stephen rolled his eyes. "And secondly, I'm a doctor and whilst I'm not particularly fond of you, you are still very malnourished and I'm bound by my Hippocratic oath to keep you in perfect health whilst you share my space."

"Oh I'm _so_ honored" Via deadpanned.

"As you should be" Stephen snorted back irritably, rolling his eyes again as the younger girl before him stuck out her tongue childishly.

"Please don't say tell me you two are still fighting?" a voice groaned.

"I just can't help myself" Via smiled ever so sweetly as Mordo came to sit beside her with his own breakfast. "Whenever I see his hairy mug I just feel the urge to punch it"

"And whenever I see your devils curls I want to exorcise you and send you back to the pit from whence you came" Stephen snorted, shooting her a dirty glare, his next words cut off by Mordo's cough.

"Yes well. At least you both agree on hating each other so that's some improvement".

Both doctor and girl snorted in unison, though the latter seemed a little more distracted as she quickly glanced over to a corner of the dining hall.

Mordo and Stephen both followed her gaze and were surprised by what they saw.

A group of teenagers, all varying between Via's own age and older and all were looking in their direction.

There were three very pretty girls amid them all talking very animatedly, or rather giggling as they returned the glance in their direction.

Whilst the giggles they reserved for Mordo beside him were genuine girlish giggles of bashfulness, Stephen wasn't sure he liked the glint they got in their eyes when they looked Via over.

It was all too territorial almost wary and defensive.

 _Well in the looks department she does rival them...In her own way I suppose._

He admitted as he looked back at Via who was finally finishing her meal.

 _But if they're ahead of her in their studies they shouldn't have that much to worry about._

How very wrong he was.

* * *

 _Okay let me just skip ahead for a bit to the good stuff, if only because the stuff in-between is just so boring and tedious to go through in detail._

 _The first three lessons of the day were theory, and let me tell you it was the most grueling and exhausting thing I ever had sat through. Or at least it was for me._

 _The teacher, or master, whilst nice seemed to go on and on about the ways in which mystical energies swirl around us in an endless web, shaping ours and others realities in the process._

 _I tried to take as many notes as I could, but eventually had to give up as they began using words that quite frankly I couldn't spell for the life of me._

 _I know what you're thinking. Surely a beginner's class in mystic arts shouldn't be too difficult to understand. But even if it was as simple as one plus one equals two, I think I still would've had problems._

 _You see it had been a long time since I'd last been at school, and even then I hadn't really been to any good schools with good teachers or resources._

 _In fact, now that I think about it I hadn't stepped foot in any educational institution since the Avengers Battle of New York two years ago. How or why that came to be I won't go into detail now, but all you need to know is that ever since that day I had become completely homeless and not gone back to school._

 _I guess I was just too busy trying to avoid getting caught by the police and being sent to juvie._

 _But even if I had not neglected my education, I still think I would've felt just as sick starting my magical education at Kamar-Taj that day, if only because the other students in my class seemed to have altogether too much of an interest in me…and by find interest…I really mean they found me weird._

 _As in really weird._

 _Especially after the catastrophe that was my first spell-casting class._

* * *

Via gulped as she fiddled with the hem of her white tunic.

She was standing in a line at the front of the class, next to Stephen and a young dark haired teenage boy in his late twenties.

From the looks of it he seemed to be European, probably from the Mediterranean region, she reckoned, because of his thick dark hair and light olive skin. His eyes were dark and warm and she felt herself blush a little as they met her observant gaze, which she quickly turned to face the front as their lecturer stepped forth, the Ancient One hovering behind him.

She was wearing dark robes of blue over her gold tunic today, and twirling her favorite folding fans in her hands. She glanced at each of the students in the front row, sparing a few seconds more for Stephen and Via, the latter of whom she gave a tiny reassuring smile, before stepping back to observe the rest of the lesson.

The first task was simple enough. A warm up exercise in which the students would summon a basic mandala like shield which was supposed to be a watered down and less powerful version of a much stronger spell, aka the shield of…

of…

…well it was a shield of someone important (Via had forgotten the name but knew it started with Sera…or something close to that).

Either way, it was something to start with.

Via listened intently as the instructor reminded his students to feel the energy flow out of their bodies rather than just push it out like a basketball.

 _It's amazing to think he even knows what a basketball is? Just how old is he? He looks like he's been alive since the stone age!_

Via held back the smirk, but only because an order was barked to begin the warmup, for which they were given ten minutes.

With all the concentration, she could muster, she tried to recall the diagram of the mandala she had seen in her classes earlier that day.

It wasn't clear, but she could still remember the basic shapes and motions. Perhaps if she drew the shape out first and then put the energy behind it next time…

She began to move her arms, both in sync as she possibly could whilst chancing a peek to Stephen beside her.

His arms, whilst shaky were moving along the right lines and already energy was sparking off at the tips of his fingers.

 _But of course, he makes a quick study of everything…even if he can't completely get it._

She added, quietly wincing with pity as she saw him cringe a little with the ache in his scarred hands.

She'd desperately to ask him how such a thing had happened to him, but considering they're not so friendly relationship at present, she decided to keep to herself likes she always did.

She turned back to her own hands, just as the Ancient One passed her on her rounds.

"You aren't expelling energy yet?" she smirked softly, but not unkindly.

"I thought I'd get the hang of the motions first" Via gulped softly, blushing to the tips of her ears with embarrassment, but she pressed on courageously "instead of just, going on a head and risking it. Don't want to accidentally turn anyone into a toad on the first day."

The Ancient One chuckled quietly, as did the boy beside Via, but he was quick to master himself as the older woman quirked a stern brow before continuing to stalk around the rest of the class.

 _Right…now let's see if I can do this…_

Via gulped as she ended her first invisible mandala, and set upon another and another, each time focusing on her breathing and arms

 _Okay…remember what the teacher said…let the energy flow with every breath. In…out…in…out…_

She raised her arms to begin for the seventh time.

Her fingers tingled slightly. But these weren't the nervous tingles of anxiety or pins and needles from being stationary.

No this was more like warm sparklers were being set off all over her whole body.

She could feel herself smiling and was half tempted to giggle as the sensation tickled her just under the nails before leaking out into the open.

And then as her arms began to trail to make the first straight line, a wobbly string of what looked to be amber light flowed from both sets of fingertips.

Via stared amazed as with every new arm movement, the trail of light grew brighter, stronger and less wobbly, all of it beginning to form one sloppy, but nonetheless distinguishable mandala.

It was like she was an artist and her fingers the brush with the energy as her paint, which flowed with each and every stroke she made.

She was so immersed in her own work that she barley heard the gasps behind her or saw in fact that both her neighbors (and indeed all those around her) had stopped to stare in her direction with dumbfound amazement.

She was finally at the final movement of the spell, a dot made by a powerful push of energy from her palm into the heart and center of the mandala.

This, her instructor had said, was the most important segment of the spell, for without the heart it would be flimsy and fall apart easily against even the flimsiest of outside forces.

And so it was with the strongest palm strike she could muster, accompanied by a very loud yell, that she struck forwards into the center of her spell…

Only to get thrown back as a blast of magic burst forth in a mass of gold and amber before disappearing in a flash.

Via's ears rung as she sat up, her vision blurred as she raised her head off the ground.

She could not recall hitting it, nor could she recall when Stephen had put his hands on her shoulders to help her as she stumbled up to her feet, only to have them buckle beneath her as her world swayed.

"Ow…" she mumbled as she was once more hoisted up, this time just to sit.

She could vaguely hear someone telling Stephen something along the lines of "hit hard", "looking green" and "sick".

 _Sick? But I've only been knocked-oh crap_ -

"GU-ugh!" she heaved sideways and promptly spewed all over someone's feet.

There were gags for breath and plenty of swearing and "eeewws" of disgust as everyone around her collectively backed away.

All save Stephen and the subject of her unfortunate sickness, a bald woman in gold and blue with raised eyebrows and a wrinkled nose.

"I think that concludes your lessons for today miss Summers." The Ancient Once clipped her voice tight as if she too was resisting the urge to gag slightly as she turned to Stephen. "As do yours doctor, if you wouldn't mind taking her to the healer's ward"

"Of course, not like I really have a choice in the matter" he muttered under his breath, but nonetheless he was careful as he picked the girl up in his arms and carried her out of the courtyard.

"Don't you dare throw up on me" he hissed as her face tinged green again. "If you do I'll drop you and leave you, I don't care where. But if you want to make it to Kai I suggest you hold it in"

Via nodded, keeping her mouth clamped shut. She feared that if she opened it she might just throw up again or worse.

* * *

Mordo was not a sorcerer to be taken lightly by anyone. Well except maybe the Ancient One, but then again, she was old and wiser by a few hundred years so that didn't really count.

But he had to admit, he was very surprised by the events of that afternoon.

If he was being very honest with himself, he had not really expected much from Kamar-Taj's two newest students.

Neither had had exposure to the mystical worlds before just yesterday, so one couldn't really expect them to produce much on their first day of studies.

But to his great surprise, Mordo had been proven wrong.

The Doctor, had shown quite an aptitude for the theory and lore of the mystic arts. His thirst for knowledge, accompanied with his quick-thinking mind and astonishing sense of memory, had allowed him to grasp onto the information in one lesson that normally would've taken weeks for the novice acolyte to digest and absorb completely.

Yes, Mordo could see Doctor Stephen Strange progressing swiftly through the ranks once he'd gotten over his physical handicap.

The warrior sorcerer briefly allowed himself a small chuckle at his undeliberate pun, though it was quick to fade as he looked out into the darkening courtyard, his mind calling back the memory of the girl that had just recently been there.

Olivia Summers was certainly an unusual sorceress in the making. Perhaps it was due to her earlier unfortunate circumstances in life, but she really struggled with theory.

Or at least she struggled with the academic side of theory, even though she was quick to understand the underlying concept.

She, unlike the doctor, had a far more natural affinity for the mystic arts in its physical form. If the whole incident this afternoon was anything to go by, Mordo was quite willing to bet she would certainly adapt very well to the warrior's path.

The magic warriors like himself used, whilst complex, relied less on thought and more on feeling and flow of energy for in battle you didn't have time to think, you only had time to act or react to a situation or else perish.

 _Perhaps this is the Balance the Ancient One was talking about_.

He mused as he meandered his way up to the dining hall which was crowded for the evening meal.

 _He gives her stability and reason, she gives him dynamism and energy. It might work…if they weren't always so wary of one another…_

He added as he chanced a glance to where he saw the odd couple sitting opposite each other, neither talking but eating with a little too much concentration than was normal.

 _Perhaps I should sit with the other masters today. And see how they fare without me…_

Mordo smirked.

This was going to be an interesting dinner.

* * *

"Take it slow. Unless you want to throw up again" Stephen growled and Via rolled her eyes.

"Seriously would you just drop it" she hissed

"drop what?" Stephen frowned as he chewed on a piece of bread.

"The whole getting sick thing" she whispered across the table. "It's bad enough that you keep talking about it out in the open when everybody else keeps yapping on about it."

"So what?" Stephen rolled his eyes, yet again (he really seemed to be doing a lot more of that these days)

"So, I'd rather not keep embarrassing myself more than I already have"

"Then stop being embarrassed and just own it. It's your mistake not theirs. People will only think it's embarrassing if you keep treating it as something to be embarrassed about." Stephen snorted as his hand shakily made to cut a piece of meat on his plate with his knife, only to fumble and have it loudly clatter down on the plate.

"Argh! Here give me those," Via reached forwards and before Stephen could stop her, she had taken his knife and fork and began cutting each piece of meat for him.

"I can cut my own meat just fine" Stephen snapped angrily as she handed him back his utensils.

"Maybe, but quite honestly my life is pretty awful enough without having to hear you clattering around like a bull in a china shop"

Stephen opened his mouth to retort but shut it hastily as he looked down into his own plate. Instead of the roughly hewn pieces he'd expected, but equal squares that were not just neat, but just small enough to be bite sized. And the speed and surety of her hands…

He'd only seen surgeons work with such dexterity or steadiness.

"how did you-"

"I used to have to help the younger kids at the orphanage at dinner time" she mumbled softly. "You can't really feed little tots big stuff or else they'd choke. And then you've gotta work fast or else they start complaining real loud and trust me it's not pleasant feeding three hungry four-year-old tantrum throwing spawns of satan"

Via felt her ears burning as she tried to look anywhere but at Stephen, who had turned back to his meal, more quiet and subdued.

But there was nothing good to distract her, save for the way many pairs of eyes glanced in her way, accompanied by many murmurs.

"summoned up a powerful mandala-"

"-I heard it blasted master Daichi off his feet-"

But the worst whispers so far came from the table of teenagers in the corner and in particular, one the three pretty girls from that morning.

"Did you see how she threw up on the Ancient One's feet. Totally disgusting. I swear she still stinks of it."

"Oh come on Mai, lighten up" a boy from the groups right sighed. The same boy in fact that had been beside Via that afternoon in training "She couldn't' help it. Her spell did just rebound on her"

"And pretty powerfully at that" another boy to his other side nodded enthusiastically. "did you see the way master Daichi jumped behind that pillar?"

"I don't blame him, if a big spell like that came at me I'd duck behind anything I could get my hands on."

"Including me?" the first boy asked playfully.

"Especially you" his friend smirked much to the amusement of the other teens. All save the pretty girl Mai, who just huffed, swishing back her long dark hair.

"Whatever" she pouted. "It's just a fluke. It's not as if a little guttersnipe like her really knew what she was doing."

 _Well she's not wrong there_

"Right…should we head back to the room?" Via looked down to her now empty plate, just as Stephen set down his.

"I don't see why not" Stephen muttered but already Via was walking away from the table.

She was just about passing the table with the teenagers when something hot and glowing caught her foot. But she only saw it too late and landed flat on her face.

Several people laughed, but loudest of all came the laugh of the dark-haired girl Mai, in which Via could detect extreme satisfaction of a malicious kind.

"Oh, whoops a little clumsy are we?"

 _Ignore it Via just ignore it! Listen to your head not your-_

But her mouth it seemed had other ideas as she stood up, her blue eyes cold.

"Yeah probably, that is if you define clumsy as stepping on a tethering spell that was cast at exactly the moment I passed"

The table of teens fell to silence, though some of the adults from the other tables only quietened to a soft murmur and a chuckle.

"Just a bit of fun" Mai waved her off, but Via could see the defensive tensing of the girl's shoulders. "I don't see what all the fuss is about?"

"No" Via nodded "In fact I bet you don't see anything past your prissy little nosey."

A couple of the teens, boys and girls alike all snorted with laughter into their bowls much to Mai's growing annoyance.

"At least I didn't throw up on the Ancient One's feet. I'd start packing if I were you tonight because I bet she's really mad with you now" she spat, her cheeks reddening like tomatoes as she scrambled for her previous foothold of pride.

"Yeah well, I'd rather throw up on someone's feet accidentally then be caught kissing their ass all the time like a mindless twit"

"HA!" one of the boys burst out quickly only to be quickly silenced as Mai elbowed him so hard in the ribs that he fell backwards onto the floor.

But unlike the past few times she couldn't find anything else to say.

"Well, now that pointless talk is over I guess I'll see you guys in class tomorrow." Via smiled with sugary sweetness "Have a good night"

 _And that I believe is Vic-Tor-EE!_

Via smirked as she turned on her heel to join an exasperated Stephen, who had been waiting for her at the door with his arms folded.

"Didn't hit your head again?" he grunted and she shook her head.

"Good." He looked sidelong at the table of teenagers who were all looking their way and muttering in even more earnest now.

Mai was looking scathing and vengeful.

"Are you sure that was a good idea?" he muttered.

"Maybe it was, and maybe it wasn't. I'm socially doomed anyway so what else have I got to lose." Via's smirk widened as they both exited over the threshold.

"Oh I don't know the chance to be normal? Have a regular friendship with kids your own age" Stephen suggested, tensing uncomfortably as the young girl chuckled hollowly.

"Seriously Doc I lost my chance at being normal a _long_ time ago. And speaking of normal if I didn't know any better I'd say you were worried about little old me"

"Like hell I am" Stephen snapped. "I'm just sick and tired of bringing you to sickbay"

"But I thought it was part of your hippopotamus-hippocrytical-hippo doctor's oath thingamajig to take care of whoever is sick or injured?"

"It's Hippocratic oath. Hippo-cratic! And it's named after Hippocrates, Father of Modern Medicine" Stephen groaned "And being around you is seriously making me consider dropping it"

"Yeah sure, like you ever would" Via snorted, not noticing the two pairs of eyes that watched her and her roommate disappear around a corner.

"So…Wong what do you think?" The Ancient One turned to the round face of an Asian man beside her, who kept his eyes fixed on the spot where the two figures had just left.

"About who?" Wong quirked a brow "The man or the child?"

"Both"

"I think…" Wong murmured quietly "That we certainly have our work cut out for us"

"That's what I thought too" The Ancient One smiled. "Now more than ever"

 _Doctor Strange, Olivia Summers…Whatever am I going to do with you both…_

* * *

 **And that is chapter 4.**

 **So yeah, Via finally uses magic...though not very well. Unlike Strange she's more along the lines of being talented but rather clumsy in her practice. Hopefully it works out in her favor. Also i really enjoy writing the banter between her and strange. He already has such sass as a character and its really fun to think of ways to counter it.**

 **On another note WOW. just wow. Seriously i'm really surprised by the amount of follows and faves I've gotten for this fic. i totally was not expecting that, especially not on just the first few chapters. Like seriously guys i really can't tell you just how awesome it is to see that, (especially on a really hot summer day where i feel like absolute crap melting in the sun) so thanks X)**

 **(gives all readers big hugs)**

 **Hope you guys enjoyed and keep reviewing for more**

 **FuzzyBeta signing out!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Fanning the Flames**

 _And so, as you all can see life at Kamar-Taj started off with quite a literal bang for me._

 _But if I thought the first day was tough, it was nothing compared to the weeks that followed for both me and my roommate._

 _Theory was still very hard for me. We were moving onto philosophies much more advanced and whilst I understood them at their simplest core, I still found it very difficult to understand the complex finer details. Now I'm much better with theory, but back then you can only imagine just how frustrating it was for me to start falling behind as I did._

 _Of course that made Mai and the other junior Acolytes all the more smug about beating me in class (oh how I wished I could punch that prissy bratty little shit in the face), especially since my roommate was already surpassing me within the first fortnight._

 _Stephen, (or as I called him back then Doc) was flying through most of his lessons, especially the theory ones. Even though his hands shake he has enough control over them to keep making notes in this weird variation of short hand. Even till this day I can't really understand it when I look at it but I guess that's kinda the point._

 _That wasn't to say he didn't still struggle with the physical stuff. Though he never would admit it out loud, I think he'd lost a lot of confidence to use his hands after they got damaged, because even though he was doing the arm motions of most basic spells correctly, the energy was not flowing from them properly. It kept stuttering and starting like a faulty cigarette lighter._

 _Not like mine did. You see guys, unlike Strange I found all the movement stuff really easy. It's kinda difficult to describe without sounding overly narcissistic or proud, but I guess the only way I can really say it is that…_

 _…well …_

 _…imagine the one thing you enjoy doing and that you're good at like sport, art or music or whatever you enjoy in your free time..._

 _Got it in your head? Good. Now imagine what you're thinking when you do it?_

 _…_

 _…_

 _And there's my point. You don't think about it, you just do it. You just feel it flow naturally through you like a fish breathes underwater._

 _That's what wielding the Mystic Arts is like for me. Feeling the mystic energy flow through my body is just as natural to me as walking or running._

 _Though that may be because of the little dream-catcher around my neck, or as its otherwise known thee Web of Asibikaashi (wow that's a mouthful and a half). Up till that point I still didn't know much about the ancient necklace except for what the Ancient One told me, but as far as I knew then, whatever she said was completely spot on._

 _In spite of the struggles I faced during the day, I never got a single nightmare, not even about the traumatic events of the day I arrived at Kamar-Taj. Instead all I got were peaceful dreams or no dreams at all, two things which suited me just fine._

 _Unlike Stephen. His sleeps back then, were never peaceful. Sometimes I'd wake up to go to the bathroom at midnight, and he'd be holding onto his hands, or sweating profusely and mumbling a lot. I would've done something to help him, but unfortunately, he was a light sleeper, and often pushed me away before I even had the chance to take a step in his direction._

 _But back onto the Web of Asibikaashi (wow still a mouthful no matter how many times I say it.) back then I would've probably done some more digging, had I had access to the library. You see Kamar-Taj had a rule that stated that until an acolyte had completed three months' worth of studies, they would not be granted entry to the sanctuary's library._

 _Apparently, it was to make sure that any new acolyte that dropped out early wouldn't leave with too much knowledge and secondly to make sure that any acolyte that would stay on would first have to master all the basics of the mystic arts before trying to overstep their bounds, which was a pity because I really wanted to know more about my dream-catcher and what it had started doing to me…_

 _You see, it all started a month into my training…_

* * *

"Enough!"

Beads of sweat trickled down Via's face as her and her opponent stood there unmoving, wooden practice staffs pressed hard against one another.

To their side Mordo stood, arms folded, face stern as it always was when taking the evening juniors sparring sessions.

Via and Stephen were both on one side of the small courtyard with two rows of students facing them in turn, each one with a staff in hand, each one looking eager to pummel the two of them to a pulp.

Surprisingly both Via and Strange were evenly worn out, such was the struggle of their task. It was tradition for the newest students to be the defensive living dummies whilst their seniors took turns practicing their attacks on them.

And boy were they enjoying it.

And speaking of boy…

Via blushed as a dark haired boy with olive skin and warm brown eyes peered around from the middle of her queue and gave her a small smirk.

Whether it was meant to encourage her or scare her she didn't know.

All she did know was that he was cute, his name was Cassian Esposito and that her stomach always did a backflip whenever they were close to one another.

 _Damn me and my hormones…thank god old Doc can't read minds. He'd really not stop hassling me._

Via sighed softly as she bowed to her partner, who bowed back wordlessly before going to the back of the queue leaving her to face her next sparring partner.

"Crap" she muttered as she caught sight of the long sleek dark hair, and piercing green eyes of Mai Fan.

"Summers" she smirked, half pleased by her opponent's tiredness and half disgusted by the stench of sweat that came off her even as she bowed.

"Fan" Via growled as she stood up, but Mai didn't return the courtesy…at least not till Mordo clipped warningly from where he stood.

"Mai, your opponent just showed you respect. It does you dishonor to not return the gesture in kind"

Via could feel Stephen and his opponent, a tall European man with white blonde hair, both glance in her direction. What she didn't see was the look of worry on both men's faces as they watched Mai stiffly give a short, and much shallower bow to her before drawing her practice staff before her.

The tension was so thick, even a sword wouldn't be able to slice through it.

Though still quite puffed, Via could feel the surge of power through her veins and gripped her weapon tighter in her hands just as Mordo's command rang through her ears.

"Begi-"

But he had hardly finished the word when suddenly Mai charged.

Via blocked it only just in time, but wasn't so lucky when the staff retracted and swept at her feet, making her fall hard and flat on her back.

"HEY" Stephen yelled but was quickly held back from intervening by both Mordo and his sparring partner, the former of whom whispered in his ear.

"Wait"

But even as Stephen watched, in alarm, Via was already on her feet, narrowly avoiding a series of surprisingly heavy blows from Mai's weapon which cracked hard on the stony ground with every strike.

Stephen had to admit, Via was quite fast. Even though she wasn't attacking, she kept her eyes trained on Mai and the tip of her weapon, dodging it with quick natural reflexes.

 _She must have learnt a lot when she was surviving on the streets_

The logical part of his brain surmised as he watched her quickly dart out from under Mai's attack to suddenly appear behind her back.

Then and only then did she strike, only for her staff to hit Mai's as it defended her shoulder-blades swiftly.

But Stephen could now see the slight glint of fear in the dark-haired girl's green eyes. She had not expected Via to strike back, especially not in such a tactical position. And she certainly wasn't ready for the ferocious untrained wild kick that hit her squarely in the side of the ribs.

She stumbled backwards missing the queues of students who all backed away quickly with yells of surprise as Via brought the fight in their direction.

But Mai was ready for her this time, and with a well-timed strike, forced Via's staff back, disturbing her footing. With a quick foot sweep, she had gone down again and Mai lunged staff raised above her head-

Crack!

There were gasps, cringes and even a yelp of horror as the tip of Via's staff smashed straight into the side of Mai's face throwing her off to the side.

"Shit did you see that?" one of the younger men whispered to his friends, just as Stephen's sparring partner hissed to Mordo:

"Yeah…My money's on the little blondie"

"Via" Stephen snapped softly before he could stop himself "Her name is Via. Not Blondie"

He felt his ears turn red as he felt Mordo smirk amusedly at him, but the expression was quick to fade as a loud yell rent the air.

It was Mai, and boy was she pissed.

In all her anger she had dropped her staff and instead leapt with tight fists towards Via, who bent her knees ready to spring away.

But when she did leap something strange happened.

"What on earth?" Mordo breathed in shock.

Stephen blinked.

Via was crouching on the ceiling beside the pillar that Mai had just barely stopped herself from smashing into.

Literally, she was crouching on the ceiling upside down, with no harnesses, and not even any magnets as far as Strange could see. Her body was completely parallel to the floor and her hair dropped with gravity as she craned her head right way up to look at her classmates.

"Huh? Why are you all upside down?" she tilted her head sideways. Then she saw the ground several feet below her.

There was a silence as she looked down at them all, then up to her hands which were spread flat over the surface of the ceiling.

With a piercing shriek of surprise, she fell, landing with a heavy thud on top of Mai, who unfortunately had been too stunned to get out of the way.

At once Mordo rushed forwards, his footsteps closely followed by Stephen who grabbed Via quickly up to stand.

"What is it with you and falling all over the place?" he growled as he bent her head down to check the top of it. "No concussion" he added in a mutter.

"Mai are you alright" Mordo clipped as he helped the girl up to her feet, only to get brushed off brusquely.

"I am fine Master Mordo. But YOU" the venom in her voice was so fierce as she stormed up to Via who was still looking slightly dazed.

"How dare you"

"uh…what?" Via blinked only to gasp as Mai came up right in her face, shoved her hard and spat.

"Don't play all innocent with me _Summers_. You just used your powers in a non-magic fight to win. Not only are you a _freak_ but a cheat too _."_

 _"_ Hey-Hey! Back off kid-" Stephen glared down at the young girl who just spat up at him.

"Stay out of this Strange! This is between me and the Freak"

"Mai" Mordo barked but too late Via was already glaring daggers and her mouth had already opened.

"I'd rather be a freak then be a stupid brat who can only get past her transmutation theory class because she copies all her friend's work word for word and whines all the time like a baby. If anyone is the failure around here it's you Fan, so don't blame me if you're too dumb to even notice your own stupidity"

Stephen almost burst out laughing as Mai's face turned scarlet. Whilst he never liked being on the end of his roommate's sharp tongue (which could only be rivalled by his own of course), he had to admit, he liked seeing her use it on someone else (even if it did sometimes give him an odd sense of de ja vu).

Of course, Mai didn't like it one bit.

"Just you wait till I tell my father about you. You'll wish you never stepped foot in this sanctuary"" She hissed softly as she made to shoulder her way past Via

"Don't count on it… Bitch" Via smirked.

"AGH!"

"ENOUGH!" the slam of Mordo's staff with Mai's was so loud, that even Via winced.

Everyone else though was already shrinking back from the Master Sorcerer as he swiftly disarmed both his students before fixing them with deadly piercing stares.

Despite himself, Stephen shuddered. Up till that point he'd only ever seen Mordo as a strict but still calm and kind man, with a gentler disposition than most would expect from a warrior.

Now however, he could understand just why his students and peers feared messing with him. His dark face was stony, his eyes blazing with a fire, that burned as hot as suns as he stared the two girls down.

Mai was shaking like a leaf with wide staring eyes up at him, but Via, to her credit, didn't tremble, though Stephen could still see her tense up in readiness very much like a wary cat would when staring down an aggressive dog.

An aggressive dog with a very terrifying growl.

"In all my years of training, _never_ have I seen such disgraceful behavior. And from two young ladies, one of whom" he turned to Mai "the daughter of an _esteemed_ Master, who very well should know and _practice_ the discipline and honor attached to her title and station. And as for Via. I know you are still new here but I expected more maturity from you given your circumstances."

He paused and now Via's eyes dropped to the ground as he murmured in slightly softer but still stiff tones. "I am very disappointed in you both."

There were soft gasps as he turned back to the class at large who all fearfully backed away.

"Class is adjourned. The rest of you, take your belongings and go to dinner. The two of you" he glared back at Via and Mai "Both of you will come with me, _Now._ And you will both. Be. Silent. Is that clear"

"Yes sir" Via answered stiffly and automatically, but Mai just nodded meekly.

"Good. Now come along. Sorry Strange" Mordo put a hand up to Stephen who had just balked forwards to try to follow "But not this time"

Stephen's feet stopped, but Via could see the worry in his eyes as he met her backwards glance.

Though why he was worried was beyond her understanding.

After all, she was just his roommate.

* * *

 _And so, as you can see, whilst I've been through a whole lot worse, this still wasn't exactly one of my more stellar moments in life._

 _Truth be told I was just shitting myself dead, wondering what the hell was going to happen next._

 _Would the Ancient One chuck me out? Would Mai wheedle her way out of punishment and leave me to do all the time for both our crimes?_

 _(ha! That rhymed)_

 _But what doesn't rhyme is what happened next and let me tell you, it was a pretty close shave._

* * *

Via sat outside the sliding door to the Ancient One's rooms, thumbs twiddling and looking up at the ceiling.

Mai was inside along with Mordo, telling the Ancient One in loud whining almost pathetic sobs, her version of the events down at training. Via only knew they were sobs because she could hear it through the thin paper doors.

 _Wow…miss Oscar winning Actress really is bringing on the waterworks._

Via rolled her eyes as she heard the overly loud blowing of a nose and a voice mumbling.

"And she-she's just so cruel. She says the most horrid things. I honestly don't understand. I-I mean Jason and Cassian came from the streets and they're not so rude-"

"Wow, and people actually buy this load of horse shit? Man, what is this world coming to?" Via laughed but shut her mouth quickly as she heard footsteps behind the door.

 _Damn you stupid mouth! You just couldn't keep shut could you?_

She groaned softly into her hands as Mordo poked his head out the door. He looked a far cry from how terrifying he'd been earlier. Now he just looked tired and slightly worn out. Yet Via could see his eyes betrayed a hint of sympathy and amusement as he addressed her.

"The Ancient One would like to hear your account now."

"Right on it" Via nodded.

She entered the room, and rolled her eyes at the scene before her.

The Ancient One was sitting calmly on the floor on one side of a low table. On the other side was Mai, accompanied by an older Asian man with green eyes, dark hair and a moustache over his rather severe face.

 _So, that's Master Fan…_

Via held back the sneer as she met his piercing stare.

She'd seen this kind of man before and boy did it make her stomach churn.

When she'd been living on the streets she'd sometimes had to beg to get money to eat. Some of the people who passed her were kind enough to give her some small change or some food. But where there had been kind people, there were also those that…well…people like Master Fan.

People who would sneer down upon her as if it was her own fault she had to beg to survive, or that she had been orphaned.

And so it was with all the restraint she could muster that she bobbed her head respectfully to both him and the Ancient One.

"Mam…Master Fan"

"So…" Master Fan narrowed his eyes shrewdly on her " _You_ are the one who has been bothering my daughter?"

 _Why that smug little-mph!_

Upon seeing Mai's smug little smirk behind her father's back, Via's fists clenched in her lap, but she held onto her cool…somewhat…

"With all due respect _sir_ " she said through gritted teeth "I don't need to really do anything to bother your daughter. I just simply have to be there and she flips out for no reason"

Okay…so maybe she wasn't keeping her cool at all.

She could feel Mordo shifting somewhere behind her but it did nothing to assuage her mounting anger, even as Master Fan growled softly.

"And what is that supposed to mean, _girl_?"

 _Well…I've dug my grave…might as well save them all the trouble and jump in myself_

"I mean, Mai is a lying spoiled brat and that she uses whatever influence and power she gains from being your daughter to bully others into doing her dirty work"

The hairless eyebrows of the Ancient One rose very high in astonishment just as Master Fan jerked back in surprise and his daughter's eyes bulged in shock.

Mordo meanwhile was resisting the urge to face palm.

 _That girl…She's not bold…she's suicidal…_

He had known people to be brutally honest. But he'd never met anyone who had quite a mouth on them like Olivia Summers.

She didn't just speak the truth.

She belted it out without a filter to stop it.

 _A bit like Strange…_

He couldn't help but note, but then quickly added in his head.

 _Except that doctor at least knows the art of subtlety, even if he doesn't use it often._

He turned his attention back to the young blonde before him who just sat back and took a sip of the tea the Ancient One had poured out for her. Her face was completely relaxed, or so it seemed.

Mordo could see the guarded look in her gaze as she kept track of Master Fan's face. She knew there would be repercussions, she was just waiting for the fuse to go off.

And that it seemed didn't take long.

 _Kathwack!_

* * *

With a sigh to the ceiling above his bed Stephen stared, tired, sore and oddly nervous.

He'd never seen Mordo look that mad before. Especially not at a student.

He remembered just how scared that Mai girl had looked under his gaze.

But then again, he reasoned, Mai probably was more of a scaredy-cat than she appeared. If she weren't then she would not have so blatantly tried to bully Via down as much as she would've.

Stephen knew bullies. He'd been enough of their plaything throughout his school years due to his cleverness. Hence why when he reached Med School he'd always made it a point to be at the top of his game, at a place so high that no one could touch him, not even when he'd made it big as a surgeon in his field.

True it had meant less friends. But it had also meant a lot less hurt in the long term…at least till he lost his hands.

 _Ignore it_

He chanted to himself as he felt the familiar tremors begin in his fingertips.

He looked towards the door to the room to distract himself.

It had been three hours since Via and Mai had been taken away by Mordo.

Three hours and not a word.

During dinner, he had barely touched his food as he tried to listen to the excited whispers around him about how Mai's father had been brought in to hear about what had happened to his daughter. He didn't know who the man was by sight, but if Mordo's and the other acolytes words were to be believed, Master Fan was not a man to be trifled with. Especially since he had earned the nickname "the Judge" from many of his students.

 _Well…hopefully this Judge isn't completely biased in favor of his own little brat._

There was the groan and squeak of metal, and Stephen jumped a little as the doorknob twisted and the door opened revealing a tired, shuffling Via.

She looked mostly the same since the sparring match, except for a very large red mark that was blooming and darkening over her left cheek.

"What happened to your face?" Stephen sat up as she trudged to walk to the open bathroom, rubbing her cheek.

"Good evening to you too. Fan's dad just slapped me" She groaned, wincing as she examined her reflection in the small mirror. "Man, that smarts."

"You'll need a cool pack" Stephen clipped automatically and she rolled her eyes.

"Yeah-yeah I know. I've been hit before. But unlike then, this time, it was totally worth it"

Stephen frowned in confusion as he saw her reflection give him a small smirk of…was that victory?

"Okay. Now what really happened in there?"

Via's smirk turned into a full-on smile as she began to brush out her hair.

"Oh nothing much. Mordo took us to the Ancient One. Mai tried lying through her teeth. I ratted her out but her daddy didn't like it so he slapped me. Then he slapped her. Twice. Once for making a scene at training, and the other for lying to both him and the Ancient One. Apparently, he can use his magic to tell when someone's lying" She grunted in an offhand tone as she tugged through a stubborn knot "Anyways, the Ancient One then said that to make up for our crap, both Mai and I get to pick out punishments for one another. Oh, do you mind if I go first for my bath. I didn't get the chance to change out of these."

"Go right ahead." Stephen snorted leaning back on his bed as she came back out to grab her towel and clean bedclothes. "So what did she pick?"

"Hmm?" she hummed as she quickly pulled out a shower cap from the draw of her bedside table.

"What did Mai pick as your punishment?" he rolled his eyes irritably much to her amusement.

"Oh nothing much. Just cleaning the toilets in the bathing rooms, both male and female for two hours after dinner for an entire month" Via shrugged as she tied her small blonde mane up and fitted the cap over it.

"Nothing much?" Stephen scoffed "She's got you literally cleaning both hers and others crap for an entire month and you're _okay_ with that?"

"Of course, I'm okay with it. It's hardly a punishment at all. Back when I was in the orphanage I had to clean the bathrooms all the time. You can just imagine the mess little boys make when they begin their toilet training."

She paused to smirk at Stephen's grimace of disgust before continuing cheerily.

"Anyway. I hardly think Mai will be smiling tonight after the punishment _I_ gave her"

"What did you do? Tell her to clean the toilets with you? Tell her to go off to Mount Doom and destroy a magic ring?" Stephen snorted and Via chuckled.

"And force poor Sauron to listen to her whines? Please I'm not _that_ evil"

"So, you admit you are evil?" Stephen smirked, but then had to duck just in time as a yellow loofa was chucked at his head.

"Hey!" he laughed but Via was already giggling and darting inside the bathroom which she shut tight behind herself, just as their room door was knocked upon.

"Who is it?" Via called from the bathroom but Stephen just waved her off.

"I'll get it. Just wash yourself before you stink this whole place down"

"Up yours old man" Via grumbled, but she didn't come out.

With a sigh, Stephen stood up and went to open the door.

"Hello, can I help you?" he grunted, only to blink.

There was a boy before him, a teenager around Via's age wearing a dark red tunic and pants. He was a good looking young man with dark brown hair, olive skin and warm brown eyes. Though he was still somewhat lean and on the gangly side, Stephen could see he was already growing into his adult frame much better than most boys his age.

 _Probably the training regime Mordo has him on_

Stephen smirked to himself.

 _That would whip anyone quickly into shape…if they survive the first two weeks._

"Um…Mister-I-I mean Doctor Strange?" the boy gulped under his shrewd calculating stare. "Is Via in yet? Master Mordo sent me to um uh deliver this…"

The boy faltered and held up his hands, in which he held a blue cool pack half wrapped in a towel.

"For her bruise?" Stephen quirked a brow and the boy nodded his cheeks flushing redder than a beetroot's.

"I'll make sure she gets it" he smirked as he took the pack, suddenly sparked by a sudden thought "Oh and could you uh…I'm sorry what's your name?"

"Cassian sir" The boy muttered down to his toes.

Stephen's smirk widened "Cassian then. Tell Mordo I said thanks."

"Of course sir" The boy nodded again keeping his eyes glued to the floor as he quickly turned on his heel and dashed down the corridor.

 _Teenagers_

Stephen huffed to himself as he shut the door.

 _I'm glad I'm just handling one little loudmouthed devil. But, it's probably for the best…I mean I can't imagine just how frustrating it must be for Master Fan to have that brat for a daughter. No wonder he looks so peeved every day._

Something tapped on the door again.

"What is it now boy?" he growled opening the door again and peering outside.

But instead of Cassian standing there, there were two other boys. Same age, one slightly round, the other tall. Both had icepacks in their hands and both were grumbling and jostling for main position in front of the door.

"I told you, I'll give mine first"

"Why you? Everyone knows Mordo would send me to deliver them because I'm more reliable. Besides I knocked first-"

 _You've got to be kidding me_

Stephen rolled his eyes.

Oh, how he _hated_ dealing with teenagers.

* * *

"Ahh…much better" Via moaned as she stepped out of the bathroom, clean and ready for bed.

Just as she did so, Stephen shut the door with a snap and a yell.

"-now get lost and get to bed!"

"Ouch Doc, when did you start turning into Grumpy?" Via smirked as she sat on her bed to dry her feet, only to cry out as several cold things hurtled through the air towards her.

"Mordo sent some cool packs over for your bruises" Stephen grunted as he all but flung himself into the chair in front of his small desk at the foot of his bed.

"Oh?" Via blinked as she looked over the mass of cold that was now on her bed. "that many? But I only have a couple-"

"Just shut up and use them quick before your face swells like a balloon" Stephen glared and was pleased to see her quickly follow suit.

But then again, she only ever did listen to him about medical situations. The rest of the time he had her snarky mouth biting back at him.

After a few moments of silence, he finally asked:

"Y'know I never did ask. What was the punishment you gave to Mai?"

"Still on about that?" Via groaned irritably and Stephen shrugged.

"Yes well, considering how happy you look I can only assume it was a punishment worse than yours, though yours seems pretty foul already"

Via's smirk returned full force, a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

"Well if you put it that way. I suppose you could say I gave delivered her just deserts."

"And how did you manage that?" Stephen frowned.

"Oh, I got the Ancient One to agree to transfer all library privileges onto me for two months. Though when I say transfer I really mean, ban her completely for two months and give me early pass to using the library and give me access to all the books I need to help me in my studies, while poor little Fanny has to _struggle_ to use her brain cells like everyone else."

Stephen stared at the girl in silent astonishment for a moment, then shook his head.

"You truly are a sneaky little brat, you know that right"

"And you're just jealous because _I_ get to use the library first. Even though you're acing all your classes"

Stephen scowled. Ever since he'd heard about the Kamar-Taj's great Library, he'd been itching to get inside it and see if he could find a spell or something that could help his hands. The very thought that a street kid with nothing but the clothes on her back and barely any schooling getting there before him and without as much effort was enough to make his insides burn quite hotly.

The only reason he could keep the green-eyed monster from escaping his belly was because he was just impressed at how she'd managed to craftily wheedle her way to that point, (even though he'd never admit it out loud).

 _She's a smart little cookie, I'll give her that_

He smirked as a gurgling sound filled the room, much to her embarrassment and his amusement.

"You didn't eat did you?"

"No…not since lunch" She shook her head, ducking her head down so he couldn't see her blush extending all the way to her ears.

"Just sit here. I'll go to the kitchens" Stephen sighed and before she could stop him, he was out the door.

"Jesus man, I'm fourteen not a baby. I can do without food for a night…or talking to myself…again. Shit" she swore softly both with irritation and in pain as her face throbbed.

 _Oh well at least I have these. But why did Mordo send so many_

She sighed with relief as she pressed an ice cold cool pack to her face only to frown in confusion as she stared up at the light above her head.

 _And how did I ever get up on the ceiling before?_

* * *

 _I never did find out why Mordo sent so many cool packs._

 _When I asked him about it later he just chuckled, patted my shoulder and said not to worry, whoever he told to send them must have made a mistake. But I can't help feeling that he wasn't being completely honest with me._

 _Either way, it was a mystery I never got around to solving, along with the other mystery of why Stephen took so long to get the food up because by god I was starving?_

 _Oh well._

 _I guess I'll never know._

* * *

"Ah Doctor Strange. Up for a night snack?"

"It's not for me" Stephen scowled as he quietly slunk out the kitchen doors, trying not to meet Mordo's small smirk as he eyed the foodstuffs tucked hastily into the front of his student's robes.

"Peanut butter, jam and bread? I never took you for a sandwich person"

"It's for my roommate" Stephen grunted irritably, his cheeks going pink.

"Ah. That's right Olivia and Mai missed dinner" Mordo nodded his amusement seeming to grow "It was quite a show I must say."

"With Via involved I'm sure it was" Stephen rolled his eyes. "I mean she didn't tell me what she said but from that bruise on her face I can guess Master Fan was not pleased"

"No but he was shocked I can tell you that. And so was the Ancient One" Mordo whistled under his breath "By goodness it's been a while since I've seen either of them that surprised. Then again, young miss Summers does have a way of doing that even to the best of us."

"That's putting it mildly" Stephen sniffed "I mean, only a month in and already she can go to the library"

"Ah yes she told you about the punishments, did she?" Mordo snorted smugly "I must admit, it was most amusing seeing Mai's face when she heard. The first time I think she's ever been speechless about anything"

"Wow, I can only imagine what an improvement that would have been"

Mordo chuckled softly.

"How is she? Fine I hope."

"I'm not sure" Stephen's mouth pursed "She seems pleased about the outcome-"

But Mordo shook his head

"I'm not talking about her feud with Mai. I'm talking about how she's dealing with what happened at training."

"Oh…OH!" Stephen clapped a hand to his forehead. He had completely forgotten. In the wake of all the anger and drama he'd completely forgotten all about how his young roommate had virtually stuck to the ceiling!

"Judging from your reaction I take it she's also not focusing on the problem or she's too distracted by the events from this afternoon" Mordo reasoned calmly as he waited for Stephen, who coughed briskly.

"Yeah well, I'm not really sure what she thinks. I-I mean. It's not normal, is it? To you know, stick like that up…up there…upside down"

He glanced upwards to the ceiling as did Mordo, though his expression was far grimmer than confused.

"No…it is not. Even by our standards."

"Do you know what is causing it?" Stephen asked, his scientific curiosity replacing his momentary fear.

"It is not a condition, at least not the kind you are thinking of" Mordo answered, his tone measured and to Stephen's ears, rather carefully too "But I am not at liberty to tell you anything about it I'm afraid. The only ones who can are your roommate and the Ancient One. Only they can choose to tell you if and when they wish. Until then doctor, I'm afraid you must wait. Just as you must wait to use the library in two months" he added with a small smirk.

Stephen scowled as the quip burned but was quick to counter it almost at once with swift decisiveness.

"It's that Dream-Catcher she wears…isn't it?"

Mordo blinked at him in surprise then frowned warningly, eyes darting around the corridor warily.

"I wouldn't talk so loudly about that here" he hissed but Stephen only smirked.

"But I'm right aren't I"

Mordo sighed heavily and whispered.

"Yes, you are. But please Doctor Strange whatever you do, be careful of how you speak of such matters. There are many relics in these halls, some more powerful than others, some which others might do anything to get their hands on. I can't say much more to you save that the relic your young friend wears, is not one that is to be taken lightly, and I can think of many a master that would love to add it to their collection, whether it belongs to her or not."

"But I thought you were all for peace and protection around here?" Stephen's brow furrowed.

Mordo just gave a hollow chuckle.

"And so, we are. But still, we are all human, and we all have some form of temptation that can make monsters of us all. Some more easily than others" he added glancing around nervously.

Stephen glanced around too.

"Nothing there" he said after a moment of looking around the dark deserted corridor.

"no indeed not" Mordo muttered, but nonetheless he fingered a short staff he had hooked to his belt even as they made to walk around another corner, and into a much lighter and airier passage.

Feeling the atmosphere lift slightly Stephen smirked.

"Oh yes I forgot to mention thank you for the cool packs."

"What?" Mordo blink, his wariness now giving way to surprise "I never sent for cool packs"

"You didn't?" Stephen frowned and Mordo shook his head.

"No. I was too busy trying to make sure Mai and her father got back to their rooms without causing scene. Why who gave you cool packs?"

"Just a few boys. One after the other. Said you had told them to give Via cool packs"

"And these were teenage boys?"

"Yes"

Mordo's confusion suddenly turned into a wide smirk.

"What?" Stephen quirked a brow. "Something wrong?"

Mordo chuckled.

"Oh, nothing is wrong doctor. But it looks like you might have to fight off your roommate's potential suiters in the future"

Stephen scowled.

"Great…just what I need. More stupid hormonal teenagers to deal with. Will this nightmare ever end?"

"When you are looking after a pretty girl like Miss Summers. I highly doubt it"

Stephen groaned, and Mordo just laughed, neither of them noticing the shadow that had slipped from behind them and into the night.

* * *

 **And that is where i leave you guys :)**

 **So Via gets in trouble for her loose cannon of a mouth (hey it was bound to happen sooner or later), Mordo gets mad (i admit it felt kinda odd not to see his character show more of his dark side in the movie) and Mai gets a bit of her just deserts Via style.**

 **I have to say, it's so much fun making Strange deal with teenager problems, something tells me he'd probably be the kind of guy who'd pinch his nose and say "i'm getting too old for this shit" every time a teenager appeared in front of him.**

 **but yeah, Via's a scrappy little thing. She's not trained but she knows how to fend for herself and hit back hard. Don't worry, n** **ext Chapter gets more exciting as we get to go to:**

 **(drumroll please)**

 **...**

 **...THE LIBRARY!**

 **and we all know what that means (he-he-he)**

 **XD**

 **Review if you guys enjoyed.**

 **FuzzyBeta signing out.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Dream a little Dream of Me**

 _Following the incident with Mai, my days at Kamar-Taj grew slightly easier._

 _True that meant me spending two hours of my evenings cleaning toilets after an exhausting day doing magic and sparring, but still. I had access to a library and resources to help my studies._

 _I cannot even begin to tell you all just how much of a relief it was to me to have access to all those books._

 _Within one hour I had found some books that detailed the basics of the mystic arts in their simplest forms. I was also able to find non-magical books too, including some exercise books for elementary and junior high education. I don't know how they were there, but then again since some of the masters and older apprentices have children they probably needed access to resources for basic education if they weren't being sent to normal school daily._

 _As you guys know I was forced to flunk out of school early after the Battle of New York to live on the streets and escape Juvie. Not quite the ideal circumstances for living but at that point in time survival mattered more than education…even if I'd have to reap the rewards of it in future._

 _Anyways that kinda meant I had to do two hours extra of Math, English and Science studies every night after cleaning the bathrooms, and one in the morning before breakfast or classes._

 _I am just grateful that Stephen wasn't too fussed about my late study hours. He did nag me about getting sleep and food now and then but otherwise nothing else was wrong. But that may have been because he too was enjoying staying up late reading in bed during that time and enjoyed waking up early to clatter around._

 _And so three weeks passed in this comfortable but busy fashion._

 _Both Stephen and I would wake up early. I'd get ready for the day then study for an hour whilst he bumbled about taking his own sweet time preparing himself. We'd go to class, then in the middle of the day I'd finish lunch early and dash to the library, finish my lessons for the afternoon. Go to my rooms and finish whatever homework. Have dinner and then clean the bathrooms for two hours. Then come back, shower, get dressed for bed and study my normal stuff for two more hours and then crash to sleep at midnight on my bed at the same time as Stephen would in his._

 _Yeah…just a typical day for the hard-working acolyte._

 _If only they could've stayed that way…not forever but just for a little while at least._

 _But unfortunately for me, fate often had a way of throwing curve-balls to my face just when I thought everything was going_ _ **so**_ _well._

* * *

 _Weave your light through the darkness,_

 _Weave your way through dreams._

 _Asibikaashi I command you to be seen._

"How do you do it?"

Via jumped a little in her spot and blinked up just in time to see Stephen staring shrewdly at her through a mouthful of potato.

"D-Do what?" she stuttered quietly rubbing her stomach. Was it just her or was something trying to tug at it hard?

And where had that voice come from?

She was only just able to catch her roommate's next sentence as she tried to turn her attention back to her plate.

"Control your magic" Stephen grunted, his tone gruff and bitter. "You've only been here two months and already you can summon up a full shield, juggle balls of lightning you name it. But whenever I try to summon something it-"

"Blows up in your face" Via finished.

Stephen would've normally glared at her for the comment, had he not heard the soft sympathy in her tones. For all their sniping banter at mealtimes, his roommate was no longer hostile towards him like when they had first met.

Many things had changed between them, but it seemed to be for the better…in some circumstances.

And so he quietly waited for her to swallow her food, her young face unusually pensive.

"Well…I'm not really sure if I can explain it. It just…it feels natural to me I guess" she shrugged flushing slightly as he now narrowed his eyes at her "Seriously, I don't know. I just breathe and it just flows out. I can't really explain how that happens and quite honestly I don't think it's really something that can be explained."

"Can't you at least try. I mean if someone like you could blast herself halfway across a courtyard on her first day, then surely I must be able to do something after two bloody months" Stephen clipped impatiently and she sighed heavily.

"And you will. Perhaps in the future but not now. Honestly Stephen, I don't know why I can do half of what I can do let alone figure out what's going on with you. I'm not like you, I don't sit around analyzing my life to the very last detail. Nor do I go around trying to force something to happen so I can get my way."

"You got your way with Mai and the Library" Stephen growled softly as he savagely skewered a vegetable on his fork.

"Yes, but not because I forced it to happen." She hissed with a quick glance to a corner table where Mai was sitting surrounded by her cronies and looking very morose "I just took advantage of a situation where I was lucky to be able to take a stop and choose a path that was already available and waiting. What you are trying to do to yourself is barge into a hotel, take the lift up to your room and kick down the door before the desk guy in the lobby was ready to give you the key"

"Hark who's talking. Aren't you trying to do the same thing with your late-night studies?" Stephen scowled.

Via groaned as she pushed her now empty plate away from her.

"Good god not that again. Seriously, who do you think you are my mother?"

"Someone's got to keep an eye on you. Might as well be me since we live together" Stephen snorted but Via rolled her eyes and was already standing up albeit with a slight wobble "Speaking of which you should go back to bed before you burn yourself up. Take the afternoon off and rest."

"I can't" Via grunted rubbing her head which was now lightly throbbing as she climbed over the long bench. "Got toilet duty remember. Plus it's the first Sling Ring class and I don't want to miss it. But first a trip to the library."

"Again? That's the third day in a row" he called after her as she began to walk away.

"What can I say, I like books!" she yelled back with a grin.

"That has got to be the most stubborn girl I've ever met" Stephen shook his head missing the way she clutched at her head as she left his sight.

* * *

"Ow"

Via sighed heavily as she leaned beside the large bookshelf.

She was in the library returning a first-grade junior high level English textbook to its spot. That was when she had felt her head throb badly.

 _Maybe Stephen was right…maybe I do need a nap._

She rubbed her tired eyes furiously as she prized herself from the invitingly cool book spines against her head.

 _Maybe a sit down for five before I go for class will help._

She grumbled as she trudged over to a large desk situated in the gap between the aisles.

She sat down in the chair, her whole body sagging as if it were made of molten goo as her behind hit the cushioned seat bottom.

 _Man…that feels good._

She groaned softly as she stretched out in the chair, letting her head roll back to stare up at the ceiling.

She shut her eyes, blissfully enjoying the sudden cozy darkness that greeted her, as she felt herself float away into nothingness…unaware that the small gem at the center of her dream-catcher charm was glowing a soft gold and that the chanting in her head had begun to grow louder.

 _Weave your light through the darkness,_

 _Weave your way through dreams._

 _Asibikaashi I command you to be seen._

* * *

 _Where is that kid?_

Stephen glanced around the courtyard.

The other students around him were studiously avoiding eye contact with one another as they tried to concentrate on summoning their portals before them.

Stephen however was finding it difficult to focus as he looked around for his young roommate.

Even if they were arriving at different times to class, Via was always punctual. For her to not be there at a class

 _She might have taken a nap like you suggested. She was looking rather run down_. _Yeah…she's probably taking a break…Don't need to worry yourself about it._

Then he shook out his head. What was wrong with him recently? Getting worried about a kid? Doctor Stephen Strange hated kids!

Granted she was his roommate and she was only fourteen, had a temperamental mouth much like his own as well as a habit of getting herself into a lot of trouble…

 _If Christine could see me she'd be splitting her sides laughing. No Strange, focus. FOCUS_

But no matter how much time passed in the day, he just could not keep focus.

And he could not get a portal to open.

* * *

She was standing in a small dimly lit room. Candles surrounded her body which appeared to be standing over some form of net drawn over the ground in what appeared to be chalk

 _A mandala…but no. Most of them have definable shapes. This just looks like a spider's web_

Via frowned as she crouched down to take a closer look at the crisscrossing lines beneath her see-through feet.

Wait hold up See-through?!

She looked at her hands.

But instead of seeing solid flesh, she instead saw the flame of a candle flickering through her fingers.

She reached out to touch the small flame, only to gasp as her limb just went straight through it without even tingling with heat.

"Okay… that's really creepy" she mumbled softly as she took her hand back, and turned it over.

There was no burn, no mark at all.

"What the heck kinda dream is this?"

She stared around, taking in her surroundings.

In the dim light of the candles she could see the grey windowless expanse that stretched on for a good ten meters.

"Underground…basement maybe?"

She reasoned shivering as her eyes adjusted to the light and caught sight of a small set of stairs that descended in a far corner.

"Some basement this is. By god who needs so much space? Oh, well might as well find out."

She stepped forwards reaching the edge of the great web on the floor, only to jerk back as she hit what felt like an invisible wall.

"Ow…" she winced as she sat up, rubbing her behind as it smarted from the fall.

"Shield spell. Right should've checked that first" she murmured softly to herself as she caught sight of a ring of runes, that glowed oddly around the web like drawing.

"Sanskrit…Shit. Don't know Sanskrit, only bloody English. Um…no wait that looks like the one Master Harim said meant imprisonment um…crap talking to myself _again_! Damnit Via focus! Focus!"

She pinched and slapped her cheek hard as she stood up and paced around the circle.

"Okay-okay. Chill out girl. Chill out. There's got to be a reasonable explanation for why I'm standing trapped as a see-through bloody ghost in the middle of a glowing circle"

She stopped as a thought suddenly hit her, then it quickly fell through.

"Nope. Nope! I've got nothing. Nada! Zip." she growled in aggravation yanking at her curls.

They'd grown a fair bit since she first came to Kamar-Taj. What had just been a short scraggly mop of yellow was now a golden mane of short curls that fell to the middle of her neck.

She took one lock that fell to the left side of her face and began twirling it hard, a habit she'd begun when studying a hard problem, but for the life of her, there was just nothing she could think of to solve her predicament.

"Maybe it's just a dream" She muttered, no longer caring if she was talking to herself or not "Maybe I'm still back at Kamar-Taj and this is all a very strange, very real dream…but then…then why do I still feel awake?"

She paused as she looked down at the web like drawing beneath her feet.

It seemed to have been drawn out of chalk, and yet with every step she took none of it smudged or faded.

"What is this?" She wondered as she crouched down to take a closer look which for some reason looked very familiar.

She reached out with a hand, and as she leaned over her dream-catcher slipped out from the collar of her tunic.

"Holy shit" She breathed as the gem in the middle of small web twinkled in the candle light. But it wasn't the gem that had her eyes widening to the size of dinnerplates.

No. It was the pattern of all the strings in-between.

"It matches the floor." She whispered as with one finger she traced the dream-catcher net and with the other she traced the chalk.

Then there was a loud ominous creaking sound.

Via wheeled around just in time to come face to face with two men, one young and one older as they came down the stairs in the corner.

Both were dressed in gold tunics, but there was only one of them she recognized.

Grey hair tied back. A thin face, grim eyes.

She had only seen that man's face once before, but at the end of a dark New York alleyway with his clothes all covered in blood.

"Kaesilius"

* * *

It was with a heavy heart and angry scowl that Stephen Strange trudged through his evening all the way through dinner and back to his room, where he flung himself into bed.

As he turned his head, he couldn't help but notice that Via's bed looked almost the same as it had when she'd left it that morning.

The sheets were all tucked in neatly (a habit he learned she had picked up back at the orphanage), and there seemed to be no trace of creases in the pillow or the thick blanket. In fact…

Stephen sat up and squinted hard at her desk and bedside table.

Neither of them had been touched either.

 _She might be in the bath?_

"Via!" he called but even as he stood up and went to the bathroom door it swung open loosely.

The bathroom looked untouched too. There was no trace of moisture or water anywhere. Everything, including the towels was absolutely bone dry.

"Shit kid! Where the hell are you?" he grumbled as he strode around the room running a hand through his hair. Then he saw the open book on the table.

He rolled his eyes and sighed heavily.

"The Library! Of course"

He quickly strode out of the door and down the passage barely missing colliding with a couple of other acolytes as they passed him down the hall.

He was just a couple of corridors away from the entrance to the library when he heard voices, two of them speaking in urgent whispers that echoed down towards his ears.

"I'm sorry Master Wong, Ancient One. I didn't want to cause a scene but, no matter how hard I try she doesn't move. It's as if she's uh… not there at all"

"I will be the judge of that Cassian. Stand aside. Hmm…that is most odd"

"Mam?"

"Cassian find Master Mordo and ask if he would meet me in the healer's ward. I will take care of Miss Summers. Wong if you would collect Miss Summers belongings and bring them to me. Afterwards return to your post and keep watch"

"Right away, Ancient One" A new voice, a man's that Stephen had never heard before, answered stiffly before his footsteps shuffled away.

As he did so, the scrambling of rapid footsteps signaled Cassian's rushing form darting down the other end of the corridor.

 _Something's happened…but what?_

Steeling his nerves, he peered around the corner.

There was the Ancient One standing calmly arm outstretched in front of her. There hovering a meter above the air on a glowing disk of blue, was Via.

Stephen had seen people unconscious when going under for surgery or being put in an induced coma and nearly all of them looked about as pale as ghosts. Via on the other hand looked like she was half dead, her face had gone grey and her body was completely lifeless.

Whatever it was, he was sure she was not just taking a nap.

No…no something worse was going on he could feel it in his bones.

He stiffened as the Ancient One suddenly turned sharply in his direction. But then she was quick to relax.

"Ah, Doctor Strange. You are just in time."

"What's going on? What's wrong with her?" He asked striding forwards and grabbing the girl's wrist.

His face paled.

"She has no pulse"

"but she is not dead" The Ancient One responded calmly before placing a hand on his shoulder and leading him down the corridor "Come I will explain along the way."

And with a wave of her hand the mandala carrying the girl floated behind them, Via's unconscious head lolling side to side like a rag dolls.

"If she's not dead why is she unconscious like this?" Stephen hissed as he was led around a corner.

"Her Astral form has been ejected forcibly from her physical body." The Ancient One murmured as she quickly paused to check if the coast was clear.

"I am not sure what might have caused this, but we must waste no more time if we are to keep her alive. The longer an untrained astral form is away from the body the more chances of the host's physical body failing. If that happens her astral form will either fade if she wishes, or if her will is strong enough, she will retain her form and conscience and remain earthbound."

"What you mean she'll haunt the earth like a ghost?" Stephen almost would've laughed at the incredulity, had it not been for the sight behind him or the grave look on the woman's face beside him.

"It is a fate many practitioners of the mystic arts have succumbed to. Many of them achieved it by projecting themselves out of their bodies before death, only to find themselves eternally living in a separate plane of existence, unable to connect with anyone or anything of the physical realm, not even those they love."

Stephen shivered, shaking his head as he looked back to Via's lifeless form.

"Trust you to get in trouble like this" he grumbled darkly.

"I'm afraid this time Mister Strange," The Ancient One clipped through pursed lips "Trouble came looking for her and it took her right under our very noses"

"But where did it take her?" Stephen pressed.

The Ancient One just shrugged.

"That Doctor, is something we will only know when she awakens."

* * *

"Kaesilius" Via breathed silently, then clapped a hand over her mouth as Kaesilius looked right at her

 _Shit! SHIT! SHITTT!_

She all but screamed in her head, only to have her heart stop as Kaesilius looked away, his stern expression unchanged and unfazed.

"So…the summons did not work?"

"huh what? Summons?" Via blinked but Kaesilius didn't seem to hear her. Instead he turned to the younger man who was looking sheepishly down to his toes.

"No sir. Forgive me. The others and I followed the instructions to the letter. We even set up a containment field like you asked. But the Web of Asibikaashi and the girl did not appear"

"Uh guys I'm standing right here with the bloody thing and I can't move" Via grunted as she waved a hand in front of both men's faces "Hello, Earth to evil psychopaths!"

But once again Kaesilius didn't even notice her. He just sighed softly and pointed his finger back to the stairs.

"Out! I will correct the spell. You go stand guard with the others"

"Yes master" the young man bobbed his head and quickly dashed away and up the stairs.

There was the slamming of a door and then silence.

Even though she knew she couldn't be seen, Via gulped nervously. Kaesilius had begun stalking around the sealing spell, his grey eyes eyeing her spot with a very intense X-Ray force stare.

"I know you're there, _girl_ " he murmured after a while.

Via felt her heart jolt in her chest but kept her mouth shut as he paced to stand in front of her.

"Even if I cannot see or hear you. I know. If you weren't here this shield would not have activated itself. But don't worry. I did not summon you to hurt you. In fact, quite the reverse. I wish to talk."

Via gasped as suddenly his body fell to the ground.

At the same time, Kaesilius face seemed to rise to float in the air along with a transparent body.

One that floated down to stand in front of her, smirking slightly as Via backed away quickly to stand on the other side of the web.

"So…You are Fala's successor. The new Spider Sorceress."

"Uh…no…I'm no sorceress…and I'm not half spider. At least I think I'm not, I mean for all I know I could be and uh…um…sorry" Via gulped cursing herself in her head.

 _Sorry? Sorry? You're apologizing to the guy that has probably trapped you HERE?! What is wrong with you girl?_

"You must be wondering why I summoned you here" Kaesilius's eyebrsoftly, beginning to pace around with his hands behind his back.

"Yeah, that and how in the hell could you just murder that old woman and set fire to her home?" Via spat as she made to follow suit, always making sure that he was on the opposite side of the circular chalk net with every step.

"I admit, it was with great regret that I killed Fala" Kaesilius shut his eyes and sighed softly. "She was a good friend to me. And a good mentor. But those days are long past and she became obsolete, too set in her ways to see the truth. But you…you are young. You at least are flexible enough to understand the truth in what I am about to tell you."

"And that truth is…" Via glared, fists clenched.

"That you are all being deceived."

"By who?"

"Who else but the Ancient One" Kaesilius's eyes narrowed "How old do you think she is-"

"Five hundred or more" Via snapped over the top of him "Yeah I've been told. So what? She's old I don't see the problem"

"Oh? You don't do you?" Kaesilius's lip curled. "you don't see how unnatural it is for a woman such as her to live as long as she has, while the rest of her order only lives one lifetime"

Via stayed silent.

Yes, she had found the Ancient One's life span unnatural. But she'd just thought she'd somehow found some form of elixir or fountain of youth. The way Kaesilius talked of her now…well it made her wonder if there perhaps wasn't something darker there.

"Ah…so you have seen it. But you still do not understand it" He smirked, and turned his back to look at one of the candles behind him "I believe by now you know that this universe we live in is but one of many."

"Your point?" She scowled warily as he turned back to face her, studying her curiously.

"Tell me child what do you know of the Dark Dimension"

"Only that A, it's dark, and B, trying to access it leads to a fate worse than death," Via shrugged and Kaesilius chuckled.

"Ah yes, that old line. Let me guess the Ancient One and your masters fed it to you in your first lesson. And you did not think to look into it further?"

"I…I'm" Via gulped down the hard lump in her throat, her knuckles now white by her sides "Studies and I don't exactly go hand in hand"

"And yet I sense about you a curious, knowledge thirsty-"

"Alright that's it. Listen crazy man! I don't care whether you _summoned_ me or not but at least try not to waste my time by going around in circles. If you have something to say spit it out, or else I'm out."

 _Me and my big mouth…_ _ **again**_ _._

Via groaned in her head as Kaesilius's eyes flashed dangerously.

When he spoke next his every syllable sounded strained as if he were holding back from spitting fire.

"Such a short temper. So impatient. And yet brutally honest. It's a wonder the Ancient One lets you study under her tutelage. But then again she always did have a soft spot for the odd ones."

Via just managed to keep her mouth shut in time, but a glare still escaped her one that was returned in kind by her captor.

"Very well…I shall send you back to Kamar-Taj. But heed this advice. More often the people we trust so much, end up being the ones that disappoint us the most. The Ancient One's betrayal of her acolytes is a failing several hundred years in the making, and whilst you call me crazy, it will be by her own sword that she will fall. And when she does you will be forced to make an important choice, do you stand with your betrayers out of misplaced loyalty, or do you side with the truth?"

Via just glared, stiffening as she saw his arms begin to move, glowing lines drawing themselves in the air.

"This is a choice that only you can make and you alone. I just hope for your sake that you choose the right path. It would be a shame if the world were denied your abilities and those of the relics you carry…Miss Summers"

"Wait-what how do you-" but too late, the blast of magic had hit her and she was hurtling back into darkness.

* * *

 _"Via!"_

 _"Via!"_

 _"Via! It's just a dream! Wake up!"_

"Via! Olivia!"

"AGH!"

Stephen jumped back in alarm as Via's body suddenly lurched upwards to sit, eyes wide, mouth open in a wide gasp of air.

"Easy, young one. Easy" The Ancient One murmured soothingly as she and Mordo carefully pushed the young girl back onto the bed. "Take a breath. Your body needs it as do your nerves"

"W-where am I?"

"At Kamar-Taj" Mordo said from a corner before Stephen could even speak. "Why? Where did you go?"

"I-I dunno." Via stuttered trying to sit up again, she felt clammy, as if she had just gone through a fever and her whole body was shaking uncontrollably. "I-I was in this really dark room. I-in a barrier. I-I was t-trapped and-and I saw…I saw… _him_ "

"Who? Who did you see?" The Ancient One pressed gently.

"Kae-Kaes-selius." Via rasped "Kaesilius. It was him. He-he su-summoned me to a room and t-tr-tr-trapped me in this g-g-glowing ci-c-circle and-and-"

She began coughing, so violently that she nearly fell off the bed as she leaned precariously off it.

Stephen caught her before she could start falling but the hacking only got worse and her eyes began to roll back in exhaustion

"She's dehydrated. Get some water" he hissed as he heaved her back to the bed and was pleased when a glass of water was quickly passed to him.

"Via. Via, come on stay awake" he hissed waspishly lightly slapping at her cheeks as he felt her lean into him, her head resting against his shoulder as her heavy eyelids creaked open.

She tried to reach up to take the cup, but her hand was just barely able to lift itself from her own side.

"Typical. Come on, just open your mouth a bit. That's it." Stephen rolled his eyes as he made to bring the cup up to her lips himself and tip some water down her slightly parted mouth.

She coughed a little, and seemed to stir a bit more as she was forced to swallow the cool liquid, but it still wasn't enough to remain completely awake. Once the cup was drained she sighed heavily, resting her head against his shoulder and shut her eyes.

"he said-he said…dark…dark…Fala…" she whispered under her breath, the words slurring into a soft breathless murmur that was barely audible even as she slipped into a dazed doze.

"We should let her rest" The Ancient One smiled softly as she watched Stephen carefully try to place the exhausted girl back down in the bed. "Having her astral form forced from her body has been taxing on her body. We will take her full account tomorrow when she's had some sleep"

"Are you sure that will be enough." Mordo murmured quietly, his brow furrowed deeply. "I don't know what Kaesilius did, but whatever summoning spell he did use was more powerful than any I've seen. And it was especially specific to one being"

"Or rather one relic" The Ancient One's eyes travelled to the girl's chest where the little dream catcher was still glimmering faintly with golden light.

Stephen glanced at it too, and his gut churned horribly.

"So…because she was wearing _this_ she was pulled out of her body? How does that even make any sense?" he pinched his nose.

"I take it you know what Asibikaashi was?" Mordo narrowed his eyes at him.

"Yeah, she's a figure in Native American folklore. Something to do with dream-catchers and spiders-"

"She was the guardian of dreams" the Ancient One cut across him grimly "And as such she and those who bear her token could be summoned through the astral plain if someone called for protection. The summoning spell was thought to have been lost for a couple of centuries during western colonization and industrialization of North America, but it seems that it has been found again.

"-and has fallen into the wrong hands" Mordo finished turning on his heel. "I shall summon the other masters for council"

"Yes, that would be for the best." The Ancient One agreed, also standing up smirking down at Stephen as she did so "besides, I think Miss Summers is in good hands."

Stephen didn't bother objecting, not even as she and Mordo both left the room.

Besides, even if he didn't want to admit it out loud, something was nagging him in his gut to stay.

Something that told him that somewhere out there in the shadows, both him and Via were being closely watched.

What he didn't know was that the Ancient One thought so too, and it was with a quiet urgency that she hissed to Mordo:

"There is only one way Kaesilius could've gotten that child to succumb as completely as she did to the summons, and that is if he knew she'd be asleep with all her defenses down. Otherwise she would've been able to fight off the summons long enough to get help"

"You think he's using a relic to keep track of her from where he is?" Mordo muttered, trying his best not to move his lips too much as they crossed into a shadowy corridor.

"Worse even than that Mordo" the Ancient One's eyes darkened considerably "He's not using a relic. He's using a person. Someone in these walls is spying for him and the sooner we flush them out the safer we shall all be."

* * *

 _And so…that's how everything began to fall apart._

 _For all Kaesilius's mad schemes that unraveled, he was right about one thing._

 _Someone did let me down big time. Someone who I had thought I could trust._

 _And whilst it may have taken a long while before the rest of my life began to crumble, didn't mean it wasn't already happening all around me at that time._

 _I was just too foolish to see it till it was almost too late._

* * *

 **And that's the end of that chapter.**

 **I must say it was odd to write this chapter. i guess because it felt odd writing for a villain who i virtually got little emotion from in the movie (seriously Kaesilius did kinda seem rather detached).**

 **But anyways the plot for Via's story thickens. I thought it would be interesting to explore the idea of Astral projections. I figured being forced to survive without a soul would probably have really traumatic emotional and physical side-effects on the body than if the projection was voluntary (because the person has both physically and emotionally prepared themselves to leave their body.)**

 **Anyways, enough speculations of what is possible in a magic universe. If there is something i can definitely tell you guys now is that from Next chapter onward, we begin to see more of the actual movie events taking place.**

 **Review if you enjoyed and stick around for more**

 **Cheers**

 **FuzzyBeta**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Wong and Right**

 _Following the whole debacle with Kaesilius's summoning, I was so exhausted I thought I'd never move again. By the time I woke up the next day it was already four o'clock in the afternoon, and I still felt too drained to move._

 _Eventually after a long checkup (which included me dropping off into a doze every now and then) Kai gave me the all clear to be moved back into mine and Stephen's quarters._

 _Not that I had the strength to complain so in any case._

 _For most of the week I felt weak, shifting in and out of sleep, only staying awake long enough to eat, drink, use the bathroom and briefly catch up with Stephen on what I had missed in class just before we went to sleep._

 _Apparently, Mai was fuming because due to my sudden sickness I had been let off her punishment a week early, and in her usual pathetically petty way had been trying to_ _ **rectify**_ _the situation by spreading rumors to the other younger acolytes about me. What I had been most surprised to discover was that despite all her best efforts, no one seemed to be paying her much attention._

 _In fact, due to her continued misbehavior the Masters all agreed to extend her library ban for two whole weeks and transfer the time over to Stephen instead._

 _And boy was he ecstatic._

 _I can remember the first day he went to the library. I swear I never understood what it meant to have "a bounce in your step" till I saw him return to the room that day._

 _He'd only gone for a short amount of time, to return some of the books I had borrowed before the whole fiasco, and ended up borrowing two armfuls of books for himself, including one about Astral Projections._

 _He was so ravenous to read that by the end of the week, he had already finished up the Key of Solomon in one night, before snoring and drooling all over it in his desk chair._

 _I can say that the photo I got from that in the morning was positively priceless._

* * *

"It's not funny! And I DO NOT snore!" Stephen glared mulishly at Via as she leaned back against her pillows giggling madly as he folded his arms and sunk back into his chair.

"Oh come on! You'd raise the dead with that noise! Heck you woke _me_ up and I was more crashed than the Titanic" Via chortled, clutching at her stomach.

Despite himself, the small prideful part of his brain did niggle him to poke his tongue out at her like he would've done if he was five years old.

But seeing as he was a fully-grown man, with a medical education under his belt and several years of professional experience as a surgeon, he instead chose to go over the notes he'd taken from Kai's latest checkup.

"From the looks of it you're doing completely fine. Neurologically though you seem to be as odd as ever" he added with a smirk.

"Ha-ha. Very funny" Via rolled her eyes as she reached out to take a sip of water from her bedside.

"Damn, not again" she cursed as her shaky fingers made the cup spill a little down her front.

"You still need to take it easy" Stephen clipped taking the cup from her and setting it aside, his tone clinical and stiff, as it always was when he was in (as Via called it) his _Doctor_ mode.

"Whatever happened to you put a lot of physical stress on your entire body. Truth be told I'm just surprised you first woke up when you did."

"So am I" Via admitted quietly as with a sigh she melted back into her plumped up pillows "Man… it felt like I'd been hit in the face by a brick wall."

"You looked it too" Stephen nodded only to roll his eyes when she shot him a dirty glare "Don't worry, it wasn't that bad. I've operated on plenty of people who've looked a lot worse when going under the knife."

Via was about to chuck something at his head as per usual when came the sound of footsteps approaching and a knock on the door.

"I'll get it" Stephen stood up much to Via's annoyance.

She'd been feeling much better over the past couple of days, and could walk around and stay awake for much longer.

Much of the time she kept on reading some of the books Stephen had borrowed from the library and had left behind. A lot of them she had barely understood whilst some…some explained a lot she had been wanting to understand for a long while.

Like the one she had been reading last night, a sort of guide to astral projections and the astral plain, was perhaps the most interesting read so far and had taught her much about what Kaesilius had done to her and her condition at present.

Usually, most sorcerers who attained the ability had to learn how to ease their consciousness's slowly and gently out of their body, bit by bit so that the body grew conditioned to the action. If the practitioner did accidentally project themselves prematurely, they were to make sure that they didn't do so over long distances. If the unprepared soul was separated too soon and too forcibly and too far away from the hosts body, there was a high chance of extreme physical and psychological trauma and in more extreme cases, death.

That of course only made Via wonder.

Kaesilius had just forcefully summoned her conscious away from her body over an unmeasured distance when she had had no prior experience in Astral Projection and she was still alive and kicking…even if she did still feel tired.

 _I just hope you can explain to me what's going on_

She narrowed her eyes at the door to hers and Stephen's room was opened and none other than the Ancient One stepped through.

Her pale face was calm, measured but Via could feel something like anxiousness in those piercing eyes as she met their gaze.

"Mam" She sat up straighter just as Stephen stood respectfully aside to let the woman in.

"Please," The Ancient One put her hand up to stop her before turning to Stephen. "If it's all the same to you, I would like a word with Miss Summers _alone_ "

"Of course" Stephen grumbled but even so quickly picked up a small stack of books from his desk. "I'll just be returning these to the library then."

The Ancient One nodded, but was already pulling up a chair beside Via's bed and taking a seat in it.

As the door was closed Via gulped, words from a few days ago, filling her head:

 _"You are all being deceived."_

"Well Olivia considering the ordeal you went through last week you seem to be recovering quite well…and yet I sense a lot of turmoil within you?"

"You would be too…if you found out the head of the order you're studying under drew power from the Dark Dimension to stay immortal" Via clipped guardedly her hands twisting the sheets in her lap.

The Ancient One sat perfectly still, the only sign of her surprise evident in the slight glimmer of fear in her eyes as she looked Via up and down, almost as if to X-Ray her with her eyes.

"Where did you hear that?" She finally spoke, her tone quiet and terrifyingly icy.

But Via held her ground

She had not faltered when she faced Kaesilius, and she would not falter now when she faced the Ancient One.

"You know where."

There was a moment in which Via was almost certain, she saw the Ancient One's hands twitch over the folding fan in her hands, a brief spark of energy igniting just for a second.

But then the moment was gone and the Ancient One, sighed in what seemed resignation.

"It is not something I am proud of. However, it is necessary for the continued safety of the dimensions and so it shall continue till-"

"Till you find someone to take your place" Via finished.

The Ancient One nodded eyes falling to her fan as they misted over slightly.

When she spoke next, her tone was soft and measured.

"For many years, I have walked this Dimension as well as many others, waiting for soul that could replace me as Sorcerer Supreme. So far, none of the candidates I had hope for came through. Nearly all of them fell to darkness whilst the others refused the role, too scared of the responsibility it entails. Even now I wonder if there is anyone who will ever be able to fill the void of power that will be left behind with my passing"

"But-But what if that's what you don't need. I-I mean" Via sucked in a deep breath as the Ancient One eyed her curiously "What if power isn't the answer? What if the thing all the worlds need is something…something else…"?

"And that something else would be?"

The Ancient One quirked a brow.

"…I…I don't know" Via admitted but then quickly added "but it's definitely not more power. Anyone can get that on their own but that doesn't mean they'll respect it or use it correctly."

"That is most true" The Ancient One nodded again, as she once more beheld the girl in front of her.

"I think I can finally see why Fala chose you" She murmured softly and Via blinked in surprise.

"Not only do you have talent for the mystic arts, which is a rare gift but you see the truth as it is, and not how you want to see it."

"Everything's just easier if you're honest" Via shrugged. "Lying is just a waste of time and energy, and often it hurts people. Yeah honesty hurts people too, but at least you can understand a truth and learn to move on far quicker than if you had to deal with a lie."

The corners of the Ancient One's lips quirked upwards ever so slightly.

"Indeed, the world might be a much kinder place if there were more honesty. But sometimes withholding the truth can stop it from falling apart"

"Like how you are trying to do with covering up your mistakes" Via cut across her, blue eyes hardening as the Ancient One's own expression turned stony.

"I would choose my next words very carefully Olivia-"

"Too late they're already chosen." Via's eyes narrowed ignoring the raging dragons of fear twisting in her gut "Listen I may not agree with Kaesilius's murdering and stealing crap but he does have a valid point. You lying to everyone else about who you are and what you can do…it's not going to end well for you. Everyone here trusts you, and once they realize that you, their leader, is breaking all the taboos that you yourself taught them to never break they are never going to trust you again."

"Like yourself it seems" The Ancient One's grip on the fan was now quite tight.

Via however shook her head and yanked out the cord of her necklace from under her sleeping clothes.

"See there's the catch. I've _never_ trusted you, not for one second. Respect yes, admiration yes. But trust, trust is earned by being honest, and yet not once have you ever thought to tell me since I started training WHY a murderer wants this stupid little Dream-Catcher!"

There was a silence as both women, young and old stared each other directly in the eye.

But despite the elder's power and authority, the younger's stubborn glare would not waver.

Eventually after what seemed an age the Ancient One sighed heavily.

"Kaesilius wants the Web of Asibikaashi…So he can pass through to the Dream Dimension"

"What?" Via blinked.

"The Dream Dimension." The Ancient One repeated "An Astral Dimension in which mankind's subconscious thoughts and psyche is laid bare and materialized in physical form. It is my belief that by using the Web of Asibikaashi, Kaesilius hopes to gain control of it and from there have the power to manipulate a massive following through their dreams to join his cause and destroy his enemies from within."

"So, he wants to control everyone by getting inside their heads?" Via shivered slightly. "But I thought Asibikaashi's power was to destroy bad dreams and darkness?"

"It is." The Ancient One pursed her lips "But when used with the right spell, its bearer can project their astral forms straight into anyone's mind no matter where they are. Once Kaesilius reaches that point, it won't matter what he uses the Web for, he can do whatever he wants."

"That's…that's just" Via shook her head as it fell into her hands "That's just twisted and messed up"

"Hence why I didn't want to tell you about it all at once." The Ancient One leaned back in her chair slightly. "The burden on your shoulders is one even fully trained Masters would have difficulty bearing. Also, I admit I wasn't sure how you would react to having such powers at your fingertips."

"You mean you didn't trust me to not become power hungry and crazy" Via nodded "It's okay. I understand. I'd be nervous too. Fourteen-year-old kid with nothing suddenly has the power to infiltrate any mind on the planet. Not that I'd want to do that mind you" She added quickly "No…I have more than enough going through my own head to deal with thank you very much"

"Including worrying about Stephen Strange?" The Ancient One smirked as she finally relaxed back into her seat.

Via felt her cheeks burn uncomfortably.

"He's stressed out." She mumbled softly more to herself than to anyone else "And I don't blame him. He keeps asking me how I can do what I do but…but I can't-"

"You can't tell him because you yourself do not know the reason" The Ancient One finished and Via nodded.

"All the Masters that teach us keep saying that the energy flows from the chakras and different centers of energy throughout our bodies, but…but I still don't think anyone can really explain _where_ the individual's capacity for the mystic arts comes from because we're all so unique. All I know about myself is that the energy just flows straight through me when I concentrate hard enough on what I want. But with Stephen…he can't do that. He's trying so hard to draw on his inner energy and just push it out that now he's tunnel visioning himself into repeatedly hitting himself into a brick wall. I've tried to make him understand but he's-ugh! He's just so stubborn and proud!"

"A flaw that almost made me reject his coming here to Kamar-Taj" The Ancient One's smirk widened "But not one that is un-changeable with time and patience"

"But we don't have much time, do we? What with Kaesilius on the loose and all." Via bit her lip and the Ancient One shook her head, smirk falling at once.

"No, we do not have much time at all"

* * *

 _But as I was soon to learn the concept of time can be extremely relative…especially when dealing with a man like Stephen Strange…_

 _His first encounter with Wong proved that…_

"Hey" Stephen nodded in greeting as he entered the library.

A man was standing there, round face stern and emotionless as he turned to face him, the dark eyes only flickering slightly in recognition.

"Mister Strange"

"Stephen please" Stephen waved him off casually "And you are?"

"Wong" the man, Wong, stated simply.

"Just Wong?" Stephen frowned "Like Adele? Or…Aristotle…Drake…Bono…Eminem…" Stephen trailed off, feeling embarrassment hot on his ears as Wong just grabbed the pile of books he'd placed on the desk and began rifling through them.

"The Book of the Invisible Sun" Wong quirked a brow "Codex Imperial…Key of Solomon…You finished all of this?"

"Yep" Stephen rocked on his feet to disguise the small shiver of discomfort that ran through him as Wong scanned him.

After a full minute of analyzing him he nodded swiftly.

"Come with me"

Stephen nodded and quickly made to follow, unaware that somewhere behind him atop of the bookshelves a dark smoky shadow was watching them.

* * *

It was ravenous.

Its hunger had not been sated in years. But it wasn't a hunger for food or sustenance.

It was the hunger for flesh…for blood…for bone.

It had only gotten a tiny taste of its prize barely a few months ago, when the previous librarian's head had been chopped off.

Oh yes that had been quite a show.

He could just remember the swiftness of the cut, the squelch of flesh, the snap of bone as spine was severed…

If the shadow could've, it would've shivered with delight.

However, it couldn't.

All it could do now was watch Doctor Stephen Strange and Wong as the latter led the former around picking out ancient tomes of great magic and lore from the shelves of the great library, where all the Masters conducted their own personal studies.

"What are those?" the doctor asked, and the shadow hovered back as he walked over to the bookcase it had just been hovering above, his eyes fixed on one of those on the top.

"The Ancient One's private collection" Wong explained.

"So they're forbidden?"

But the shadow could sense the doctor's excitement, could sense the lust for knowledge. If it could have, it would have grinned, even as Wong made to smirk.

"No knowledge in Kamar-Taj is forbidden, only certain practices. Those books are far too advanced for anyone other than the Sorcerer Supreme"

And it was of the current Sorcerer Supreme that the shadow now dwelled on.

The old woman…she had been around for far too long. Her lies had been around far too long.

But the shadow knew the truth.

And so would the doctor and Wong know…eventually

But for now, it was content to watch and wait.

It would get what it wanted in time…

Kaesilius had promised it that much.

It just had to be patient.

* * *

"So you finally met Wong huh?" Via smirked as Stephen trudged back into the room tired and carrying an armful of heavy tomes.

The Ancient One had left half an hour ago, but Via did not feel like sleeping again.

In fact, she was beginning to feel a little stir crazy. For a girl who had spent her last two years on the streets outdoors, being trapped inside a room for nearly a week and a half was sorely pushing her sanity.

A point Stephen had only been too keen to point out…save now that is.

"Yeah…gave me some new books and the casual death threat should I be overdue on a return. But seriously is he always so quiet?" he asked and Via chuckled.

"Most of the time. But he's okay. Trust me you don't have much to worry about from him if you follow his rules."

"Sounds like a tyrant" Stephen snorted and Via shrugged.

"Yeah, but he's a tyrant that knows the library so we just have to make do"

"True" Stephen rolled his eyes then paused turning to her with a sudden thought "You still have the Astral Projections book don't you?"

"I'm still reading it" Via shook her head in amusement. "Don't worry. I was planning on going down and returning it tomorrow"

"Tomorrow?" Stephen quirked a brow, and Via could already see the doctor lecture rising up in his throat.

"Yes tomorrow. I've got to start doing stuff before I go completely bonkers from boredom"

"You mean, more bonkers than usual?"

Stephen ducked as a pillow was tossed at his head, laughing, only to stop as he caught sight of the momentary gleam of sadness shadow her blue eyes.

"Hey…you know I don't mean it like-"

"I know" Via snapped waspishly as she pinched her nose "And it's not that…I just-talking to the Ancient One about what happened…it just took a lot out of me …ugh…I need a shower"

"Then please take one" Stephen tried to smirk to lighten the atmosphere only to feel himself deflate as with a gruff nod of thanks.

He stared after her long after the bathroom door had shut on her back.

 _Just what is with her today?_

He gave a small tap on the door.

"Via…I'm going to training now"

"Okay" he heard her speak, but there was something slightly off about her voice.

 _She must be tired_

He said firmly to himself as he forced himself away from the door.

 _She's tired, she needs her rest. Now…to get past that damn Sling Ring class…_

* * *

The shadow watched quietly from a shadowy corner as the doctor left his shared quarters, tilting its head as it followed him for a few paces.

It found the man quite interesting.

He was a much faster learner than the other acolytes.

Faster and smarter.

But he had ego and pride.

The shadow liked the prideful ones.

They were always so much fun to toy with before it finished them off and turned them all to powder.

 _Now for the girl…_

It turned back round just as the doctor left the corridor and as the door to his quarters was once more opened again from the inside and a blonde head of hair poked out.

 _Hmm…now what do we have here?_

The shadow glided noiselessly after the young girl as she quickly darted down the other end of the corridor, and up a flight of stairs and out of sight.

If the shadow could smirk…it would've…

But at present it couldn't.

All it could do now…was follow…

* * *

 **Wow third chapter in third day. but i guess i did write half this for the previous chapter anyway so *shrugs* might as well put it up now.**

 **Finally got Wong officially in (loved every scene of his in the movie seriously one of the best characters XD) so that was fun. hopefully i'll get to write more of him in once i get used to writing for him.**

 **So Via and the Ancient One kinda have a strained relationship with many trust issues.**

 **As the author i always kinda felt that Via (being as brutally honest as she is sometimes) would definitely clash somewhat with the Ancient One's secretive nature, but would ultimately (and somewhat begrudgingly) understand what she does is for the greater good.**

 **Anyways you guys know the drill by now. Review if you liked.**

 **Adieu**

 **FuzzyBeta**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Catching Smoke**

 _Following my discussion with the Ancient One, I began to feel almost suffocated in the room._

 _A room that had once been so inviting, and dare I say it like a home, was now tainted by dark secrets and lost trust._

 _A tad dramatic I know but nonetheless accurate._

 _Though I had always had a feeling that the Ancient One was lying and hiding her true nature from everyone, a part of me had always hoped that whatever Kaesilius had told me was not true…or at least it wasn't as severe is it really was._

 _I guess I just wanted to feel like I'd finally found somewhere where I could feel safe and secure and no longer looking over my shoulder for something unknown to lash out at me._

 _But unfortunately, that wasn't meant to be._

 _And so, I did what I always did when stress caught up with me._

 _I went to the top of the west tower._

* * *

The air was clear and fresh, the sky bright and inviting and a rich blue and the sun in it bright and warm.

But Via only had eyes for the grey stone courtyard far below.

In them she could see the sling ring classes just starting, this one led by Mordo.

Via smiled a little as she caught a glimpse of the top of a familiar shaggy head of brown hair waving its arms around and making mystic energy spark here and there.

Whilst there were many residents of Kamar-Taj with dark hair, it was always easy for Via to spot Stephen in a crowd, especially from the top of the west tower. There was just something about the way he walked or did things that was so _unique_ that it was difficult NOT to notice him from anywhere.

Perhaps it was because he always held himself tall with his own ego and sense of self-importance even in the face of failure.

Via could never really emulate that air of confidence, most likely because up till two months ago she didn't have much to be confident about.

The clunking of metal and footsteps broke her concentration of the view and she quickly turned just in time to see two teenage boys and one girl stride up the stairs, all groaning as they each lugged a heavy telescope in their arms.

"Honestly Arthur! Your first day back from London and you just had to blast your mouth off at Master Hamir" the girl growled rolling her eyes. She appeared to be of Indian descent with a slightly mousy but pretty face and lovely thick dark hair tied back in a long plait that fell to her waist.

She was glaring hard at the stocky, auburn haired and immensely freckled faced boy struggling up the stairs behind her.

"Oh come on Meeta, you'd be complaining too if you'd just undergone four months of exhausting training and then gotten homework on your first day back" He puffed. "And besides, I don't hear Cass complaining. Right Cass?"

Via felt her heart almost screech to a stop like a drag racer's car as none other than Cassian Esposito came into view rolling his dark warm, butter melting eyes as he groaned.

"Only because I'm too busy hauling this stupid thing around everywhere!"

"Hey, it could be worse" Arthur shrugged grinning wide "We could be listening to Mai complaining all day. And speaking of Mai, who's this new girl she keeps trash talking? The one Max and Jin keep gushing on about"

"Olivia Summers" the girl, Meeta smiled wide, much to Via's own great surprise. "Ancient One took her in three months ago from New York along with that Doctor Strange guy, just after you left. Don't know much about her except she's can do some pretty mean spell-casting."

"Yeah" Cassian grunted as he carefully leaned himself against the wall so that it took some of the weight off his telescope "During her first lesson, her shield spell was so strong that it rebounded on her and made Master Daichi jump behind a pillar. Ever since then she's aced most hand to hand combat and practical spell-casting lessons."

"You know I did I hear Master Mordo is even considering moving her up to his more advanced hand to hand combat class soon" Meeta hissed

"Are you serious?" Arthurs spluttered eyes widening "Mordo as in, Master always-strict-disiplinarian-who-will-never-let-you-move-on-till-you've-perfected-every-single-step MORDO?"

"that's the one" Meeta clucked her tongue.

"Damn. Powerful and- oh wait Is she cute?" Arthur asked curiously his face lighting up "Oh who am I kidding, she must be if Mai can't stand her."

"Why don't you see for yourself" Cassian smirked amusedly as he finally looked up the stairs and caught sight of Via, who flushed a deep vermillion.

"crap" she muttered softly as both Meeta and Arthur looked up and spotted her.

"Uh…hi" she gave a nervous wave.

"Hi…" Meeta waved back awkwardly.

"Hey" Cassian smirked and it took everything in Via not to melt into an oozing puddle. She was just thankful for Arthur's loud exclamation of:

"Well hello gorgeou-OW! Meeta!"

He whined as Meeta retracted her hand from the back of his head, smirking.

"Don't mind him. He's always like that. The name's Meeta"

"Via…but you guys probably knew that already"

 _Wow smooth Via real smooth_

Via cursed herself in her head as she shook the girl's hand before having it grabbed away by Arthur who winked as he brought her knuckles to his lip.

"Arthur Carson. Pleased to meet your acquaintance!"

"Pleasure is all mine…but I wasn't aware we'd gone so far back in time" Via couldn't help but snort much to Meeta and Cassian's amusement.

"thank you for saying that" the latter smirked that charming smirk. "I've been trying to tell him to drop it for ages"

"Oh come on Cass, have ye no sense of chivalry?" Arthur pouted.

"He does, he just doesn't use it as a ploy to chase skirts" Meeta rolled her eyes again "And I don't recall you being so chivalrous when we first met"

"Well you did fling pudding into my face" Arthur grimaced.

"Only because you were a jerk to that kid" Meeta scowled.

"A Jerk?! I was just five years old!"

"Guys I'd love to reminisce about childhood but maybe when we aren't carrying such heavy telescopes" Cassian groaned as he started to lug his cargo further up the stairs.

"You guys need a hand?" Via smirked as she reached out to help Meeta whose telescope was just about to teeter out of her grip.

"Thanks" the girl puffed and together Via and her pulled the telescope up the stairs, the two boys following close behind…a shadow in the corner of the staircase below watching their every move.

* * *

"Mastery of the Sling Ring is essential to the Mystic Arts. They allow us to travel throughout the multiverse. All you need to do is focus, visualize…see the destination in your mind. Look beyond the world in front of you. Imagine every detail, the clearer the picture, the quicker and easier the gateway will come"

 _Easier said than done._

Stephen grunted as he forced his shaking hand round and round in the correct motion.

But as always, the energy felt like it was stuck just at his fingertips and occasionally sparked off, no matter how hard he tried to push it out.

 _If a teenager with less life experience and education could make a powerful shield on her first day then surely I should be able to get this RIGHT after three months!_

He held back a snarl as he tried to push forth energy once again, only to have his hand tremble badly

 _Damned brat! Makes it look so easy. What does she have that I don't?! Oh yeah, functioning hands!_

He was momentarily distracted by the sounds of footsteps as the Ancient One and Master Harim walked out into the courtyard, both in dark robes today.

"And Stop" Mordo clipped formally as he caught sight of the newcomers his jaw tightening slightly as he caught sight of the Ancient One's face.

Whilst her expression seemed blank and calm, her eyes were stormy and grim…and frightened.

"I would like a moment alone with Mister Strange"

"Of course," Mordo frowned a little but kept his face cool and collected as he nodded to her request.

With a swift gesture, all the other students around them began to file out obediently, though there were a couple that chanced a curious look back at Stephen as he walked up to the Ancient One.

"My hands-" He began but the Ancient One cut across him swiftly.

"It's not about your hands"

"How is this _not_ about my hands?" Stephen rolled his eyes.

The Ancient One only smirked.

"Master Hamir" she called and the old master stepped forwards, shifting the sleeves of his robes.

Stephen had to admit he was surprised to see that one of the man's hands was in fact, just a stump where the wrist should be. But then again, Hamir didn't usually teach him or the older students, only the young teenage acolytes.

But what was more surprising was when out of nowhere the old man swished his arms and a glowing amber line of energy flew out of the tip of the stump, connecting with the spark ignited in the other whole hand.

The line was then moved, swirled and crossed till briefly a shield mandala glowed in front of Master Hamir, before he quickly banished it with a wave of his stumped hand.

"Thank you master Hamir." The Ancient One nodded, turning back to Stephen as the old man bowed and strode away "You cannot beat a river into submission. You have to surrender to its current and use its power as your own"

"I-I control it by surrendering to it? That just doesn't make any sense"

"Not everything does. Not everything has to" the Ancient One sighed and Stephen was surprised to hear a trace amount of frustration in her own tones as she addressed him, arms beginning to make the circular movement of the spell he had just been trying.

"Your intellect has taken you far in life, but it will take you no further. Surrender Stephen. Silence your ego and your power will rise. Now come with me."

Stephen followed her, somewhat hesitantly through the portal she had summoned, only to wince as blistering cold air hit his face.

The Ancient One smirked.

This was going to be interesting.

* * *

If someone had told Via three months ago that she would be walking around a temple, clean, dressed in fresh clothes and talking and joking with the cutest guy in her lessons alongside his two friends, she might have asked them to be locked away in a mental asylum.

But as her brain slowly began to compute, she was walking with the three other students and she was to her pleasant surprise, enjoying herself immensely.

"So Via I've got to ask" Arthur coughed as the four of them finally thudded down the last of the tall tower stairs. "Your last name is Summers, so how come your dad's name is Strange? Did your parents' divorce or something?"

Via burst out laughing.

"What? Did I say something wrong?" Arthur blinked.

"Just-just give me a second" she wheezed as she leaned hard against the wall the other three staring at her in astonishment as she snorted in a very porcine manner. "Whoops sorry. Okay…okay I'm done-ha!"

She giggled again.

"Sorry" she shook her head, her smile still wide "But I just couldn't help it. Stephen…my dad…pff!"

"So…Strange isn't your dad?" Meeta's dark brow rose high. "Then why are you living with him? Shouldn't you be with us in the juniors quarters?"

Via just shrugged.

"I don't know. When she brought me here the Ancient One just told Master Mordo to set me up in the same room with him. She never explained why, but we've been sharing ever since for the past three months"

Then she quickly frowned quickly "So hold it, why do you guys think he's my dad?"

"Uh…" Meeta glanced nervously at Cassian.

 _ARGH! Will he ever quit with that gorgeous smug-oh damn it Via what is wrong with you?!_

Via all but groaned internally as the boy in question smirked, a spark of mischievousness in his dark eyes.

"Well you two do stick together a lot, especially at mealtimes. Then there's the way you two bicker and banter with one another. He's always looking after you and keeping an eye on you if something happens in training"

"Looks after? he hovers around you like a guard dog" Meeta muttered under her breath "Apparently, he wouldn't let Jin or Max in to see you after your fight with Mai"

"Yeah well to be fair, both can get kinda annoying after a while" Arthur rolled his eyes.

"Yeah but this is different" Meeta explained to Via whose eyebrows were rising higher and higher up her brow with every passing second. "For the past week, you've been out of it I swear Strange has been more fidgety and snappy than ever in class, not to mention distracted"

"That's probably just his hands" Via muttered, more to herself than to anyone else, but Cassian heard it just the same.

"What about his hands?"

 _Crap_

"Well…" Via gulped.

Whilst it was common knowledge across all of Kamar-Taj that Stephen had trouble with his injured hands, Via knew that he still did not like to talk about it, and worse he hated it when others tried to talk about it no matter whether it was behind his back or to his face.

She was one of the few people who could usually get away with talking to him about it, but only because she had shared close quarters with him for so long already and was used to the way they shook and trembled.

She was spared the guilt of speaking another word about the touchy subject by a deep cough.

"Ahem"

"Master Mordo" Meeta squeaked as Arthur and Cassian stiffened automatically where they stood.

But Mordo just smiled at the three young acolytes as he strode over to them.

"Meeta, Cassian, ah Arthur you've returned. How was your training in London? I heard your father rather put you and your peers through your paces"

"Yeah" Arthur gulped "My father's training really does live up to its reputation...as does yours sir" he added with a sheepish grin.

Via could see Cassian resisting the urge to roll his eyes as he quietly mouthed.

"Idiot"

But Mordo didn't see it, or rather chose to ignore it, as he turned his attention quickly towards Via.

"Olivia if I could have a private word"

"Uh…sure…sir" she added quickly before turning quickly back to the other acolytes. "Um…it was nice talking to you guys."

"Right back at you gorgeous" Arthur grinned, some of his swagger returned, only for it to shrivel a little under Mordo's watchful gaze. "I-I mean-"

"He means we'll see you tomorrow in class, if you're coming that is?" Meeta quirked a brow.

"We'll see. But if Kai gives me the all clear then yeah sure." Via nodded, feeling her cheeks burn once more as Cassian winked at her.

"It's a date then"

 _Oh hot damn you to hell for that cute face!_

Despite her frustration in her head, Via just nodded, cheeks very pink as she made to wave goodbye and follow Mordo away from them and out towards the main lower courtyard.

"I see you are getting along well with your fellow classmates" Mordo smiled and Via bobbed her head down, ears now turning red.

"We actually just started talking this afternoon. I was chilling up on West Tower and they were bringing up telescopes for Master Hamir's Astronomy Class and we bumped into one another."

Mordo chuckled softly.

"You were lucky then, Cassian and Meeta are both hardworking and down to earth and whilst Arthur is somewhat of a flirtatious maverick, deep down he is a very loyal and amiable friend"

"So I've seen." Via smiled "So what did you want to talk about?

"Two things" Mordo's face fell into one of seriousness. "The first being about what your meeting with the Ancient One today. I take it you talked to her about the events of last week?"

Via nodded quietly, her stomach dropping as Mordo's calculating gaze bore down into her.

"And I take it she has told you why Kaesilius summoned you through the Astral plain?"

"Yeah but…" Via bit her lip as she eyed her toes with every stride.

"I've been reading up on Astral projections o-or at least the fundamentals from the short basic texts Wong gave me" she added when Mordo quirked a brow "but something just doesn't add up. The kind of summons he did was one where he'd have to summon my Astral form when I was asleep. But Kaesilius is not here at Kamar-Taj so how could he know when I fell asleep in the library?"

"We do not know" Mordo replied stiffly not quite meeting her eye. "but rest assured the Ancient One and the Other Masters are doing what they can to analyze the matter. The passing of powerful relics from one generation to the next is a matter to be handled most delicately and with utmost care so that they do not fall into the hands of those like Kaesilius's. Especially when he wants to use them to…."

"Amass power and expand his army? The Ancient One told me" Via added when Mordo turned to her in surprise.

It was quick to turn into a sigh.

"I see…"

"Is something wrong?" Via gulped nervously but Mordo shook his head quickly as he led her up a set of stairs towards a higher courtyard.

"No…I just was not expecting her to tell you the truth so soon. From what I've gathered in recent days she seems very withdrawn…troubled…"

"Must be hard…" Via murmured sympathetically much to his surprise "I-I mean her job must be pretty darn tough if she has to worry about not just one world but many…and barely having time to worry about her own problems…I mean…she may be Sorcerer Supreme but she's still human…"

 _A human that draws power from the dark dimension that sounds like the epitome of evil…Wow "epitome"? that reading is really paying off_

She pinched her nose and yawned, missing the way Mordo's smile softened down on her as he patted her shoulder encouragingly.

"You have a kinder heart than most. That is good," he added when he saw her embarrassed flush "Compassion is key when training to become a sorcerer. It is the tether that keeps us grounded and stops us being seduced by power falling to darker paths. Which leads me onto my second topic for discussion. Your hand to hand combat…"

 _Is crap…_

Via shut her eyes, steeling herself for what was certainly to come.

 _I need more work. I'm struggling enough as it is to get through one training session and not drop dead, let alone move afterwards._

"I was wondering whether you would like to move to a more advanced class?"

"Wait what?"

Via blinked up at Mordo who smirked with amusement.

"Yes, an advanced class. Seeing as you are already flying through your current training regime it would be appropriate to begin training with others of your skill level and higher to gain more experience."

"You're kidding, right?" She spluttered hands flying around in front of her "But…but last lesson I did I barely made it out alive. Stephen almost had to carry me back to the room"

"But he didn't. Though you were both tired, you were the only two to remain standing or even capable of walking away by the end. You more so then him"

"B-But I fought with lighter weights-"

 _Which each felt like a ton in my hands._

"The weights you used were chosen not for their size but for their relevance to your bodyweight. With you being of a much smaller frame you were naturally given less to carry than Strange" Mordo steamrolled over her smoothly. "Even so, the weights you carried were still far heavier than those of your other young peers, nearly double in fact than a couple of the boys that were taller and bigger than you and you still handled yourself well"

"Didn't feel like it" Via rolled her eyes "No offense but it felt like I'd sweated and slaved my way through all nine circles of hell"

"As was the test's intention. To be trained in advanced hand to hand and mixed magical combat you must have exceptional endurance. Not only will you be fighting physical forces, but concentrated forms of energy that will at times press down upon your shields with more weight than an entire building. It is a very different kind of battlefield than those found in the Mundane world outside and as such needs unique warriors, those that fight just as much with the spirit and heart as they do with the body. Ah here we are"

Mordo nodded forwards and Via looked to see they had entered a smaller courtyard on one of the higher levels. She recognized it at once as the one beneath the Ancient One's rooms, and indeed the Sorcerer Supreme was standing there, hands behind her back waiting patiently for something.

She turned briefly to glance back at them, her eyes hardening slightly as they met Via's own grim face.

"Mam" she bobbed her head and the Ancient One nodded quietly before turning back as both the girl and Mordo came up beside her.

"How is our new recruit?" Mordo muttered quietly.

"We shall see…any second now…" The Ancient One's lips pursed into its characteristic thin line as her charge sighed heavily.

"Oh no, not again"

"Why what's wrong" Via frowned at Mordo who now really did face palm as the Ancient One clipped.

"I have set Mister Strange a test. If it goes as expected, he will be able to use the sling ring to return to this spot…he should be appearing soon" she murmured, and Via was alarmed to hear nervousness in her tone.

"Return? From where?"

But both the Ancient One and Mordo ignored her, the latter hissing softly.

"Perhaps I should-"

"No" she cut him off firmly and he fell at once into silence.

The seconds snailed by.

Via shut her eyes, trying and failing to ignore the way her heart beat frantically in her chest.

 _God what have they put him through this time? Crap Stephen wherever you are just get back ASAP before your stupid proud behind is blasted off the face of the earth._

 **FZZZZZTT!**

Via jumped as the fizzing sound pierced her ears.

Both Mordo and the Ancient One's eyebrows rose, the former's face splitting into a smile as the fizzing sound began again, this time accompanied by the glowing sparks of energy that had just appeared to create a large circle in the air.

Via barely had time to yelp in surprise as suddenly, something fell through the glowing ring and landed in a heap with a shout, on the stone tiled ground.

Something with white clothes and a scraggly brown beard, half frozen and flecked with white snow.

"Stephen!" She cried, rushing over towards him, ignoring the snowflake infested breeze that blasted in her face from the other side of the now closing portal.

Stephen shuddered, groaning slightly as he raised himself up to glare up at a smugly smirking Ancient One and a relieved Mordo for a moment before succumbing to his exhaustion.

Via just managed to catch him before he could completely sag to the floor growling softly under her breath as she tried to pull him up to sit.

"Stephen, come on stay awake goddammit!"

"Mordo help Miss Summers deliver Mister Strange to their quarters. Then return to my quarters. We have much to discuss"

And before Mordo could even nod in acceptance of the order the Ancient One was off like a shot, her swift walking pace not unnoticed by Via who spared her a dirty glare behind her back.

Mordo felt his stomach shift uncomfortably.

He knew that the young girl was not the most trusting of people, but the scrutiny she held for the Ancient One was beyond his comprehension. Especially since the latter had saved her life.

 _Just what happened to make her lose that trust but retain her compassion?_

He was drawn out of his thoughts quickly as he heard Via grunt as Stephen suddenly leant all his body weight on her side:

"Come on old man, wake up! I can't haul your frozen ass all the way on my own. You're too fat"

"It's not fat that weighs him down anymore, just muscle…and perhaps his overinflated ego" Mordo shook his head and chuckled as he strode over to the pair of them and pulled Stephen's arm around his shoulders taking his weight as he forced all three of them to stand.

Mordo motioned for Via to move and she would have, if not for Stephen's arm gripping her tight to his side.

"Stephen" Via hissed as she was uncomfortably squashed into his side.

Stephen stirred groaning and mumbling under his breath, but still he wouldn't let her go. Indeed, his grip on her just tightened.

She gave Mordo a pleading look but he just calmly shook his head.

"We won't have far to go" he murmured slipping his own sling ring on his fingers from his belt and putting his hands up.

At once the glowing ring of the portal opened in a whir of sparks before them. As the three of them all awkwardly and slowly trudged through it, Via marveled at how perfectly thin the barriers between each portion of space within that reality was as they slid out of the courtyard and right into hers and Stephen's room.

 _Damn…I gotta get me one of those rings._

"Come on Doc. Bedtime. There ya go." She groaned in relief as with a small push from he and Mordo, Stephen landed front first on his bed with a soft _Flump!_

He was out for the count as soon as his head hit the mattress.

"Make sure he stays warm while he rests. I have to attend a meeting" Mordo chuckled softly as he quietly slipped back through the portal which quickly shut behind him.

Via sighed heavily, staring at the spot the sorcerer just left through and then at Stephen who was still mumbling under his breath.

"Everest…cold…Everest..."

Via rolled her eyes.

"Come on old man, let's get you tucked in"

* * *

Kaesilius smirked as he looked at his reflection in a cracked mirror.

The ceremony had just been performed.

True it had been a few weeks before schedule but he was running short on time.

The girl was far more stubborn than he had anticipated and her guardians even more so in the way they had kept vigil around her during her recovery.

 _I should have known she would do what she could to keep the child from my grasp_

His lips fell into a small scowl as he stared into his fractured reflection.

In it he could see his eyes. What had once been a face of human skin and flesh, now was beginning to flake around the eyes, revealing a shimmering purple like substance.

From a distance, it looked like both his eyes had been burned, and indeed even as he looked further at them, he could see the white hot energy pulsing through the cracks like lava.

But it did not trouble him.

Indeed, he relished in the sight.

His plans were finally coming to fruition.

Then suddenly a spark winked to life in one of the broken shards.

Kaesilius wheeled around just in time to see the glowing ring of sparks materialize and a dark shape step through.

It was hard to tell what the shape was. On the one part, it seemed humanoid but on the other it looked to be made of nothing but dark smoke almost solidified.

The corners of Kaesilius's mouth twitched upwards as a male voice issued from the depths of where a shadowy head was.

"Master, I have news. The girl is on the mend. She will soon be ready for the taking"

"And you found this out how?" Kaesilius's tone was cautious, but still could not disguise the smirk that was creeping up his face.

"I saw her for myself. She's walking and talking with others around the sanctuary as if nothing has happened."

"And the Ancient One allows her to do so? Knowing full well now that one of us is in their midst" Kaisilius's brow rose in surprise. It was unlike the ancient sorcerer supreme to let her young ones like that girl out of her sight for long, or at least the sight of the other masters.

The shadow seemed to nod.

"Yes, but she still does not know who I am or what I am capable of and neither does her lapdog Mordo. At present either they are staying by her side, or running around trying to catch my shadow while her guardian watches over her"

Though he could not see the eyes, Kaesilius could feel the shadow's gaze stare hard at his face and heard the disappointment in its tone.

"You have already performed the ritual?"

"Time was of the essence" Kaesilius stepped forwards and calmly raised a hand up to the shadows shoulder "Do not worry my son. The preparations for our plans are nearly complete. Once all is ready you may join me by my side where you belong, and you will have your revenge and your reward"

"Yes…about that master…"

Kaesilius could hear the sneer in the shadow's voice.

"I would like to make a few changes to our agreement"

"And those changes would be?" Kaesilius's eyebrows rose.

If the shadow could've, it would've smirked.

"I'm so glad you asked?

* * *

When Stephen Strange woke up, it took a couple of minutes before he could completely compute where he was.

His whole body was warm.

His whole body felt relaxed.

His whole body was in his bed, even though he could not remember how he'd gotten there.

A small snuffling noise caught his ears and he turned his head quickly on his pillow.

And there, in a chair beside his bed, Via was curled up fast asleep.

She was in her sleep clothes, her curls, that now reached her shoulders, covering her face like a golden sheet. In her lap was a book, opened on a page that was being bent slightly as she held it close to her in one arm, the other being used as a pillow as she rested her head on it.

Quietly as he could, Stephen shifted to sit up, but she did not even wake up once.

For a wild moment, he wondered if she had undergone another astral projection.

But then he heard her snort and grunt in her usual (but still somewhat surprisingly adorable) piggy like way under her breath, like she always did when tired.

"Leave…leave them alone Billy" she mumbled once as Stephen swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up.

That's right now he could remember. He had been training when the Ancient One had wanted a private word…only to get thrown onto the top of Everest and left to sling ring himself back to Kamar-Taj before he froze to death.

He grinned widely to himself as he trudged to the bathroom, remembering briefly the flow of energy as the ring of light had finally, FINALLY, come forth form his fingertips as he had breathed and let it flow.

At last he had gotten past that barrier.

At last he would be able to move on.

But first he needed to do something about that beard.

 _Wow, the kid was right it is pretty bad_.

He grimaced as he caught sight of his shaggy reflection.

Was that really him?

Was that really the World's top Neurosurgeon looking back at him?

No, that was Stephen Strange, a bedraggled man with no hope and no hands that could heal or hold a scalpel ever again.

 _Well that's all about to change._

He growled in his head as with a determined grip he grabbed a pair of scissors and his electric shaver and set to work.

* * *

"No! No I don't wanna wake up-morghphm!" Via grumbled as she felt a pair of large warm hands reach out for her shoulder.

Then there was a sigh from somewhere above her and she grimaced as she then felt two arms strongly and securely hoist her up into a hold.

"Mnot-waging-ups" she slurred, struggling slightly against the hold. But whoever was carrying her didn't pay her any heed as they quickly lowered her down.

Despite her initial discomfort, she smiled slightly as she felt her mattress and pillow suddenly press against her back and head.

Yeah…she could get used to that soft pillow and those large rough hands that patted her curls away from her eyes before drawing away.

Finally, she managed to summon up her strength and her eyedlids both creaked open.

The light was dim, but she could make out a shape walking away from her and back to the other side of the room.

She turned her head to follow the figure's process and was surprised to see when it turned back to face her that it was-

"Stephen?"

But it wasn't the Stephen Strange Via knew.

The Stephen Strange Via knew was scruffy, scraggly and unkempt.

The Stephen Strange that was now sliding into his own bed had a head of neat and short brown hair, the sides streaked with grey and an even neater shorter beard that now did not hide the high jawline and oddly chiseled features as it had done before.

"Get back to sleep" the familiar deep voice of her friend grunted from the stranger's mouth as he leaned back on his pillows. "You'll need it if you're gonna go back to class tomorrow"

Via nodded, unable to get words out of her mouth as she leaned back, all the while not taking her eyes off her roommate, who upon noticing her stare, glanced back nervously.

"What?" he bristled.

"Nothing" Via smiled and turned around onto her back so that she stared up at the ceiling. "So you finally did it huh?"

At once Stephen felt his nerves vanish, and a smug smirk replace them instead, that same smirk in fact that usually had his fellow doctors grumbling in envy as he celebrated yet another victory in the medical theatre.

"Yeah…it took me a bit, but after a couple of tries…I don't know…I was half frozen and all I could think of was just focusing on my breathing or else I'd go into shock and-"

"I was talking about your beard" Via rolled her eyes. "You finally shaved the hairy beast off your face"

"Oh" Stephen felt his ears burn and his pride deflate somewhat "right. I-I knew that I was just-"

Via shook her head grinning from ear to ear.

"I'm kidding. Y'did good doc"

Stephen smirked up at the ceiling.

"You're not too bad yourself kid. Good night."

"Hmm what was that old man, I didn't quite catch-"

"I said goodnight" Stephen growled, but despite himself smiled as with a small giggle Via shut her eyes and let herself fall back to sleep, just as he also shut his eyes, not noticing that his hands for once weren't shaking as he did so.

* * *

 _*Sigh* And this was the real point in my life where things really did start to go downhill…even though I couldn't see it just yet._

* * *

The Shadowy figure of solidified smoke, slid through the window.

All was quiet.

All was still.

It "sniffed" the air, it's dark head twisting this way and that as it checked its surroundings.

The two occupants of the room were fast asleep in their beds, both peaceful and smiling.

The shadow crept closer to the smaller of the roommates, a girl with blonde curls sprayed over her pillowcase like a lions mane.

Such a beautiful color. Like ribbons of melted gold, shiny, glowing in the moonlight.

The shadow reached out with a dark smoky hand towards the curls, not noticing the small bud of blue, glimmering on her chest from within her shirt.

Just a little bit further, and it would be able to touch it's-

It recoiled as the bright blue glow suddenly brightened, briefly illuminating the whole room and blasting back the shadow which hissed quietly as its eyes (wherever they were) found the source of the light.

A small blue gem in the center of a small dream catcher with shimmering golden webs.

The Shadow snarled as it retreated, the glow of the mystical artefact all but making its form burn as it shone in the dark.

But despite the bright light, neither the girl or her roommate stirred a wink.

"Just you wait oh Asibikaashi" the shadow whispered into the night as it crawled back to the window sill. "My master will have your powers, and when he does, your little keeper will be mine"

The light of the Web of Asibikaashi, only glowed brighter and the shadow was sure that even as it slid back out through the window, it had briefly seen the shadowy silhouette of a spider hanging on the wall above the sleeping girl's head, spinning a new web which glowed in the moonlight.

* * *

 **And once again i leave you hanging right there.**

 **Anyways, we're finally getting a move on into the movie events, and the mysterious shadow is starting to get really creepy with his stalking methods.**

 **Who is he? And more importantly what is he? What does he want? Why is he stalking Via? Will his stalking take him to the library and will he see Wong listening to Beyonce? (Let's just face it we all want to see that moment again :P)**

 **If you want to find out, all you have to do is review ;)**

 **Cheers**

 **FuzzyBeta**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: Tipping Points**

 _Friendship was never an easy thing for me._

 _I had always been the kind of person to blast my mouth of at others, and often what I said tended to push people away, despite my attempts to socialize._

 _Looking back, I can sort of understand why it had been difficult for me to be accepted by others._

 _Back at the orphanage I'd always been the small runt of the litter, but I'd also been the most loud and rambunctious (AHA! See? My reading and re-education is paying off). I always stood up to Bill and Milly, the married couple who owned and run the orphanage (badly I might add), whenever they tried to bully us all into submission._

 _As such, most of the other orphans there wanted to keep their heads down and survive as quietly and as they could to avoid punishment. Needless to say, they avoided being associated with me at all costs in order to achieve this._

 _When I was on the streets it was slightly different. There was more human contact…but less innocence or humanity._

 _Whilst there was no danger of Milly and Bill locking me in a tiny cupboard with no food or water for hours as punishment, there was still a sense of danger and hostility around every street corner. But unlike the orphanage, I had the option of running far away if I needed to get out of trouble._

 _If I did meet the occasional person who was sympathetic they were usually other homeless people who understood my predicament, but often I only saw them once and never ever again._

 _All of this changed when I was brought to Kamar-Taj._

 _First, I had to stay with Stephen, share a room and bathroom and even for some time, classes._

 _Despite our rocky start, not having to worry about someone trying to do me in when I slept, not having to eat alone, having someone to talk or even bicker with…was actually kinda nice._

 _I never realized how much I missed normal human contact._

 _I also never realized how much I missed having people smile at me, a thing that had only happened to me a handful of times before when I was younger._

 _So, I guess you can say, when I became friends with Meeta, Arthur and Cassian, I was beyond happy…_

 _Or at least I would have been if not for Cassian and his charming smile…_

 _Damn that boy and his good looks._

 _Anyways speaking of relationships, before my world almost crashed around my head, Stephen and I…well we had to face our own challenges…the first tremors before the big earthquake so to speak._

 _Everyone knows that when you live together with someone over a certain amount of time, the arguments, whilst they may become fewer for some, tend to also become far deeper and about far less trivial matters…_

 _Like our first one…though that technically was not started by either of us. And neither was it really an argument._

 _Though it still hurt all the same._

* * *

She was floating…

But at the same time, she was falling.

It was the oddest sensation, as if someone had pushed her into deep water, her limbs floating gently around her as something dragged her body downwards.

And yet she was not in water…but air.

 _Huh? I wonder if this is what it's like to be in outer space_?

She wondered and with a gargantuan effort Olivia "Via" Summers opened her eyes.

The space around her was strange.

The sky…or at least the space above her head, looked blurred and yet clear with something like strange colors swirling around.

She was briefly reminded of that Van Gogh painting of the "Starry Night", pictures of which she could remember seeing from her homeless days as promotional posters outside a big museum. In addition to these swirling masses of color, elements of Salvador Dali's melting clocks and strange worlds were also appearing on the edge of her vision.

Except instead of clocks, it was masses of rock, or at least something that resembled rock that was constantly stretching and melting, not like lava, but more like sluggishly slow wet glutinous clay as they hovered above and around one another and around her.

"Ah…there you are"

Via squeaked slightly as what felt like a hand suddenly appeared out of nowhere and pulled her up to stand.

She reached round to grab its owner only to stop dead in her tracks.

"YOU!" she screeched.

Behind her was a woman, her red skin old and wrinkled, her wizened features bird like with a sharp beaky nose and dark beady eyes that peeked out from under wispy white hair.

"Hello child. It's been a while" Fala smiled warmly as she beheld the young girl before her, poking her lightly with her crooked walking stick "You've got some more meat on those bones I see. And your hair's shining like the sun. Life in Kamar-Taj definitely suits you more than life on those cold streets."

Via took a step back, her mouth opening and shutting like a gaping fish as she spluttered.

"B-but you-you're dead-h-h-how-"

"Am I here?" Fala finished, her smirk widening. "Well you see, I never truly died. Or rather I'm not truly alive right now, at least not in the physical sense."

"Y-you're projecting yourself?" Via gaped "As in this is your-"

"Astral form, yes you could call it that" Fala shrugged. "You see, moments before Kaesilius dealt the final blow I just managed to bring myself here. However, unlike before, I didn't have the Web of Asibikaashi and so I couldn't bring my body along with me. So, I am dead, and this astral form of mine lives on here in dreams and cannot _move on_ as other mundane people might say"

"B-But you can do magic" Via waved her arms around "You're a sorcerer, aren't you? Surely you must have a-a sling ring or something to get out-"

"The Sling ring does not work when you are in your astral form." Fala explained patiently "As does most magic. Much of the mystic arts you and I learn requires energy to be drawn from a body in the physical realm. Once the connection between astral and physical is broken, so too is your connection to your magic. And as my body is dead, I have no power to move between realities, just as I have no power to face that"

"To face what exactly?" Via frowned only to wince as the old woman forcibly yanked her chin around to look behind herself.

" _That_ "

Via stopped herself from shrieking in terror, but only because she had clutched a hand over her mouth in horror.

It was Stephen, curled up in a fetal position on the floor, ground (or whatever the surface beneath their feet was). He was clutching at his hands, both covered in blood which poured from deep gushing cuts, all his fingers twisted in some form or another. Some only slightly bent out of shape whilst others were at horrible unnatural angles.

But that wasn't the worst of it.

There, just above his body, a dark shadow was hovering. It didn't have any definable shape, it just seemed to be a mass of black with two white eyes and two claw like appendages sticking out from the mass. Each one was wrapped around the doctor's hands, and squeezing them painfully, further cracking the already broken and fractured limbs.

"Stop it!" Via yelled as Stephen gave an uncharacteristically loud wail of pain. But his torturer continued as if it hadn't heard her, its grip tightening even more.

"STOP IT! STOP HURTING HIM!"

"It will not stop" Fala sighed sadly as she grabbed Via's arm to stop her rushing forwards "It draws strength from his fears, and your own terror now as well"

"What do you mean draw strength? What is that-that thing?" Via felt a shiver run through her as the shadow squeezed Stephen's hand yet again. She shut her eyes as she heard the sickening crack of bone breaking and the cry of pain.

Fala however remained unfazed, though her tone was sympathetic as she said:

"A nightmare. A powerful one your friend's own making. And you will never save him from it by simply yelling at it"

"Then what do I do?" Via cried out, flinching as Stephen's next yell pierced straight through her eardrums and brain.

"What you must do oh _Spider Sorceress_ " Fala straightened up, her walking stick prodding at the dream-catcher on the young girl's chest.

Via looked down at it too.

It was glowing bright. Both the web and the small stone in its center.

"Wait-what do you mean what I must -" Via looked up, only to see nothing but the strangely swirling surroundings. "do…"

Fala…was gone.

"Oh come on!" Via yelled only to wince as another shriek of pain hit her ears.

"AHH!"

She wheeled back around just in time to see the strange black shadow grab now at Stephen's wrists, its grip twisting slowly and painfully.

Via could practically feel the fractures forming even from where she stood, and made to run forwards only to stop short as she found herself teetering over the edge of an endless drop.

"Well that's just convenient" she hissed to herself as she watched the now severed island of stone with the nightmare and its victim begin to float away from where she stood.

"how to get across? How to get across" she murmured to herself as she looked around herself.

But there were no bridges, no structures of any kind. Only chunks of half molten rocks floating beneath, around her sides and -

She looked up as a shadow passed over her head.

One large rock was slowly sliding over her, twisting and morphing in on itself like some grotesque fluid playdough, that was shiny and reflected the glimmer of blue from the dream-catcher around her neck.

She looked down at it with a scowl.

"Some help you are. Calling me the Spider Sorceress, hmph! just what the hell does that…that…" …mean…" she trailed off as she looked back up to the rock.

As she did so a memory of a ceiling, a pillar and dropping came to mind.

"Spider…" She breathed as she caught sight of the web like weave of the trinket reflect above her.

Would it work though? Last time she didn't even know she was hanging upside down. Heck last time she hadn't even planned it to happen.

But she had to try at least.

Teeth gritting as she heard a faint yell of pain floating further and further away, she bent her knees and clenched her fists.

"Okay…three…two…one-NOW!"

She leapt up…only to stack it as her foot caught in a snag of rock.

"Well that was swell." She hissed as she gingerly got up to her feet, still mumbling frantically under her breath.

"Come on Via, focus. You gotta get this right or else…. You just gotta get this right" she shook her head out as she bent her legs.

This time, she knew it had worked even before her toes had left the ground. She had felt the hum of energy as it gently pulsed through her…felt her hands stick as they reached up, her palms hitting the rough rock surface.

Then suddenly as her legs found purchase she felt gravity shift and the entire world seemed to right itself in her eyes.

It took her a second of shaking her head out again to realize that as she stood up, Stephen and his Nightmare were both drifting away above her head, both upside down.

"Now this is super trippy" she muttered as she broke into a run on the newly found ground, all the while craning her neck to keep an eye on her upside-down quarry (or was it right way up? She couldn't be sure anymore which was right)

Soon she reached them only to stop dead in her tracks as a thought suddenly hit her.

Just how was she going to get down.

However, she was soon spared the trouble of thinking of that when the dark shadow below her suddenly seemed to look up. Or at least it looked like it was looking up because it had no discernable head, eyes or body that she could see…or hands for that matter.

And yet something dark and shadowy did shoot up and grab her around the middle.

With a cry of surprise that mingled with Stephen's own whimper of pain, she felt herself come crashing down to the ground below.

"AH!" she grunted as suddenly her face was peeled off the stone below, (which did feel remarkably solid despite its strange fluidity) and was quickly raised up again.

This time she could see the dark blackened appendage that held onto her, a strange tar like substance that wrapped around her chest like a boa constrictor.

She reached up to grab it with a hand, not noticing the way it glowed golden just before she touched the dark substance until-

The sound that came from the black mass was unlike any she had ever heard.

It sounded like the roaring of an ocean mixed with that of a lion (or was that a bear she couldn't tell) and the scream of someone in pain.

It mingled horribly with Stephen's own yells of agony as it, like him, _clutched_ at itself, it's strange attachments of darkness curling in on themselves.

All save one, the one that held Via. But that, she soon realized, could not let go of her no matter how hard it tried.

For from her hand, the golden glow began to spread.

Via watched in astonishment as the energy trickled down in golden drops.

At first the trails seemed random, then she saw them connect.

One after the other, gentle curves and lines connected, weaving an intricate net around the dark shape which tried desperately to pull away from her body. But it was no use.

For as the golden web spread over it, it began to dissolve into dust…

Everything began to dissolve…including the thing that had held Via up over Stephen's now stirring form.

"AHH!"

* * *

"AHH!"

"GHA!"

Two voices yelled as both roommates jerked upright in bed, the older of the two the first to recover in a series of gasps and pants.

"What the hell was that?" Stephen wheeled around to stare at Via who was wiping her sweaty brow and pinching her nose.

The color drained from her face completely as she caught sight of his alarmed eyes, which instantly flickered down to the dream catcher that glimmered faintly on her chest.

"Stephen…" she gulped, but Stephen was already on his feet and was backing away. "I'm so sorry-I didn't mean to-"

"Didn't mean to what? Didn't mean to violate my privacy? To get into my head? How-how dare you-" Stephen spat, and Via was alarmed to see his hands sparking off as he tried to summon magic to them.

"Stephen, no it's not like that-"

"Don't! Just-just don't!" he snapped as he backed away, his eyes too clouded by anger and confusion to notice the tears threatening to spill from her as he opened the door. "I need some air."

"Stephen wait" Via reached out but already he was out the door, which shut behind him with a snap.

Her head fell into her hands which grew wet with tears.

"…I'm sorry…"

* * *

 _Till this day, I still feel guilty about what happened that night. Even though I know I couldn't help it and that his reaction was only natural, a part of me does feel bad for interfering with his head, especially since it was only my first Dream Walk._

 _Back then I was just terrified that I had unintentionally betrayed whatever trust he had in me._

 _Nowadays, I am grateful that we both woke up when we did. I mean, if something had happened, like if I'd cast a strong spell whilst inside his dream and it did not hit the Nightmare, I could've quite literally broken Stephen's mind._

 _Even now when I must Dream-Walk, a part of me is still afraid to act when I need to._

 _The mind is both a dangerous and fragile place, and if one messes with it the wrong way, it can have disastrous consequences, both for the dream-walker but even more so for the dreamer._

 _I was just lucky Stephen has a stronger mind than most, one that would be difficult to damage or break._

 _I wish I could say the same for my own._

* * *

The dark shadow paused as it watched the tall figure of Doctor Stephen Strange stalk through the halls and out towards a courtyard.

There was no curfew at Kamar-Taj, or at least there was no curfew for those above the age of eighteen, but even so many masters and older acolytes and apprentices almost always chose to turn in early after a long day of training.

And yet as Stephen paused to lean against a cold pillar, he couldn't help but notice two masters on the higher walls casting strong and complex spells towards a dome of transparent energy that covered the entire monastery.

It had been happening for quite a while now, he had noticed. Every night, two masters would fuel the barrier, for barrier it was, and each time they would continue to add different spells to further its fortification.

Had he not heard some of the other students complaining about the strength and magnitude of the spellcasting, Stephen might have thought it ordinary security practice.

But even as he watched the two masters work, a part of him knew that whatever was going on in the outside world was getting worse, and that the Ancient One was battening down the hatches.

"Rough night?"

Stephen almost jumped about a foot in the air as he wheeled around.

Mordo was standing next to him, still fully garbed in his day clothes, his face tense and his eyes grim as he assessed his student who sighed.

"However, did you guess?"

 _How could I not guess?_

Mordo frowned as he noted the pale clammy skin and the rather confused expression on the doctor's face. He knew that look all too well, as did probably half of Kamar-Taj.

"What happened with Olivia?"

Stephen stiffened where he stood.

"What makes you think anything happened with her?" he clipped defensively but Mordo was not deterred.

"Because you only ever look this rattled if either she's done something or something has happened to her"

Stephen was so tempted to glare and snap at the other man and he would have done, if he wasn't so god darn tired.

"That damn kid" he hissed as he pinched his nose "What on earth was she thinking? Getting into my head like that"

"Into your head?" Mordo's eyes narrowed sharply. "What do you mean inside your head?"

"She got inside my dreams somehow" Stephen grunted "And I mean she was literally inside them, not just as a vision but _she_ was there as herself and she was aware of it. I've never seen anything like it, not even in my readings so far"

"I should think not" Mordo's brow furrowed even deeper. "Oneironautics, or if you would like to call it Dream-walking, is an obscure and unusual branch of magic that is difficult to learn. Very few, if any other than the Sorcerer Supreme, have ever succeeded in dream-walking successfully and without damage to the dreamer's psyche. How Olivia should know how to achieve this unconsciously-"

"It's that damn Dream-catcher she wears" Stephen growled, his palm slapping hard against a pillar "I swear that thing is more trouble than it's worth. I don't know whose bright idea it was to give it to a kid, but whoever did it sure didn't think through the consequences"

"Only because they didn't have time to" Mordo snapped, his eyes hardening to such a fierce glare that Stephen took a step back. "The woman who was its keeper was killed merely moments after she passed it on. And whilst I agree the arrangement was rushed, it has so far proven to be the best one."

"That doesn't matter" Stephen continued mulishly "she's still a kid. A kid who has yet to learn how to control her own emotions and head, let alone have the responsibility to control others minds-my mind." He gritted his teeth. "My head in the hands of a fourteen-year-old"

"Ah…I see it now" Mordo nodded as understanding seemed to dawn on him.

"See what?"

"All of this, is not anger at her. No, you are angry at yourself"

"I'm not angry at myself-"

"Yes, you are" Mordo sighed "Because you are afraid. All your inner demons, everything you have done that you feel is shameful, you hide in your head away from where you think everyone can see them. But now someone has found a way in, and you're scared that she will see you as you have made yourself, and that she'll be repulsed as you believe so many others have been"

"Don't think that just because you know me that you can see through me!" Stephen glared but Mordo only remained calm, indeed his eyes turned to sympathy.

"I do not need to be omnipresent to know that your pride is merely a smokescreen to conceal your insecurities. It is a ploy most people employ to hide themselves whether they are aware of it or not, and you are no exception."

He stepped away, hands folded behind his back.

"I am off to bed. I suggest you return to yours and rest. You have a long day tomorrow"

And with that he left, leaving Stephen to stare around the courtyard, yawning a little as he did.

 _Maybe I should go back to sleep._

 _But what if she gets into my head again?_

Another small voice hissed in his head, but it was quickly squashed down by his tired brain.

 _You need sleep. You are exhausted._

"Damn it" he cursed as he turned on his heel and stalked back into the monastery, not noticing the shadow that followed him closely around every turn and twist.

The shadow's curiosity was spiked as it followed the doctor to the door of his rooms.

If what both the sorcerer and doctor said was true, then its prey was growing stronger. Stronger and more aware of her powers.

If she was to fully realize her potential before all was ready, then all the shadows and its master's plans would unravel.

 _It seems as if I might have to accelerate my plans_

The shadow thought to itself as it slipped away from the door and back down the corridor and out of sight and knowing.

* * *

"And Stop"

Sweat beaded on Via's brow as she and Cassian pulled their training staffs away from each other and straightened up.

"Not bad" the latter grinned, a sight that would have made Via melt into a puddle of goop had she not been so puffed.

"Not bad yourself" She smirked wiping her brow and looking up at the sunny sky.

It was a hot day in Kamar-Taj, surprisingly so for autumn. Via was glad she was not wearing all the layers of the black tunic and pants that she was so fond of.

Ever since she and Stephen had managed to summon portals with the Sling Rings, they had both been granted the privileges of the properly initiated acolytes, which included a wider selection of acolyte clothes in colors other than the novices white.

So far, Via had enjoyed wearing the blue and black variations, occasionally utilizing the sashes or extra components of the other colored ensembles into them, depending on how she felt.

And today she felt downright glum.

It had been a few hours since her dream-walk and Stephen had not spoken a word to her since.

Not that Via expected him to.

She knew it would only be a matter of time before she screwed up and so far she hadn't failed to disappoint.

And so, in keeping with her dismal mood she'd dressed in the most drab colors she could find. A fitted black, sleeveless under tunic with matching pants, bindings, boots and fingerless gloves, with only a grey sash tied over her brown belted waist. Her blonde curls, that now hung at shoulder length, were tied back in a small messy but tight bun at the back of her head, revealing her toned arms.

Yet another part of her physique she had been pleased to discover that morning as she had dressed in front of the bathroom mirror. Three months ago, she had been a scrawny, underweight, pale kid with scraggly yellow hair and rather papery skin.

Whilst she never thought herself as beautiful by any stretch, she had to admit that now at least she was lean and healthy looking. Her skin glowed and had a slight tan, her hair was not dull anymore, heck she was even developing a small six-pack on her stomach and slender guns for arms.

A part of her wondered if after three more months at Kamar-Taj she'd even be able to recognize herself. Would she bald like the ancient one? Would she have runes tattooed on her skin like one of the masters that taught her?

But then she was comforted as she considered her reflection again and saw that her blue eyes were exactly the same as ever.

The same eyes that now narrowed slightly as Cassian approached her.

"Hey, don't mean to be rude or anything but I just noticed something while we were fighting. May I?" he pointed to her.

"Sure" she gulped, half from nerves and half from…well from something else entirely.

Either way she felt her cheeks heat up like the sun above as Cassian walked to stand behind her, before bringing his hands forward to wrap around hers.

"When you strike try to bring your arms back into your body straight afterwards. Like this" he gently pulled her arms back so that they were at a comfortable but close distance from her body. "See? that way if you need to defend yourself or attack again quickly you won't have to move so much and waste energy."

"Okay…" Via did her best to ignore the small shiver that went up her spine as his chest gently pressed against her back as he chuckled.

"Don't worry, it's easy to forget. I was very unlucky to have to remember it the hard way"

"What happened? Did Meeta smash you by accident?"

"No thank god for that. I mean don't get me wrong, Meeta's my friend and I love her to bits but training with her can be a code red safety hazard."

"She's code red for you? Damn then what happened with Arty must be like…code black or something" Via smirked, glad for the memory of last week to pop up in her head to replace the morose thoughts of that morning.

Meeta, for all her hard-working attitude, was clumsy with weapons or fighting in general, even though she had a mean slap that she usually spared for the back of Arthurs', and occasionally Cassian's perfect, head. Only last week she had apparently hit the former full in the privates by accident when he had come to check her progress on the wooden Wing Chun practice dummy.

And so, it was with a small wince of sympathetic pain that both teens chuckled, Via turning her head back to look at him.

From this angle, she could see the way his brown eyes and his equally dark hair shone with a golden sheen in the light, highlighting his smiling eyes.

The sight of them made her feel calm, reassured but oddly enough, it made her feel safe…If only she could feel this safe again when back in her room.

"Y'know I know it probably sounds crazy and I've only known you guys for a couple of weeks but…" She mumbled quietly "I'm kinda glad to have friends like you guys"

"You make it sound like you've never had any friends before us" Cassian chuckled only to stop dead in his tracks as Via did not answer.

"What? You're kidding? Seriously no friends?"

"As pathetic as it sounds, nope. None" Via shrugged shouldering him in the chin. "Oh, crap sorry. You okay?"

"I'm okay" Cassian rubbed his chin as she wheeled around to face him, her hands flying to his face as she tilted it for inspection.

"So, will I live?" he sniggered and was not disappointed when Via quirked a brow at him.

"Firstly, I'm not a doctor, and two if it was life threatening I wouldn't do this" and with that she playfully slapped both his cheeks.

"Hey" Cassian laughed grabbing at her as she began to lightly slap at his sides with her staff. Eventually he caught both her hands and tugged her forwards just as she reached out towards him.

With a small thud, they both landed on the ground, Cassian on his back and Via hovering over him.

Their giggles and laughter echoed loudly around them, so much so that-

"Ahem!"

A shadow fell over them both.

Via squeaked and Cassian flushed red as both turned their heads to see Mordo standing over them, arms folded. A few meters behind him, standing in the shade of the edges of the courtyard, the Ancient One stood, fanning herself with her folding fan and smirking with amusement as she watched the two pupils waver under Mordo's stern stare.

"Care to explain why neither of you are training?" the master sorcerer quirked a brow.

"W-we were, we just were um…" Cassian stuttered as he and Via both jumped to their feet blushing and brushing themselves off.

"We just fell over-by-by accident" Via finished but knew it was of no use as her ears turned bright vermillion.

Mordo sighed.

"If you both want to flirt, you can do so on your own time. Until then, Cassian you go train with Morrigan. Olivia, you go with Damian-"

"Forgive the interruption Master Mordo" The Ancient One suddenly piped in snapping her folding fan shut tight "but perhaps Miss Summers might benefit from facing a different sparring partner today?"

"Who do you have in mind?" Via answered before anyone could stop her, doing her best not to meet Stephen's wary eye.

Nearly all the other acolytes, Cassian included, stiffened in shock at her brazen address to the Sorcerer Supreme. Nearly all of them had used honorifics when addressing the Ancient One. It had been drilled into their heads that they treat her with only the upmost respect and reverence. Only some of the elder and most advanced Masters would ever address her with some familiarity and even then, they kept their distance.

Mordo, now so used to her forwardness, simply rolled his eyes fondly along with Stephen who had till then been partnering him, or rather, Mordo had been drilling him about the way he always held back when he should have been fighting like his life depended on it.

And so, it was with a mixture of worry, suspicion and interest that Stephen watched the Ancient One smile with amusement at Via before stepping to the side, revealing someone else that had been standing behind her.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me" Via groaned as a figure dressed in purple with a head of long black hair came into view, framing a pair of green eyes that glared at her with a mixture of revulsion and smugness.

"Hello Summers, lovely day to lose, isn't it?" Mai Fan sneered under her breath before turning her attention to Cassian and giving him a tiny wink.

Via felt her gut burn hotly and her fists clenched tight, but for once did not rise to take the bait. She was too tired and to emotionally worn to even care.

Instead she took a deep shuddering breath and turned to face the Ancient One.

"How long will the match be?"

"Till the winner is decided" The Ancient One smiled lightly, but Via could see the slight mischievous gleam in her eyes as she addressed Mordo.

"Mai tells me that she has been training hard and wishes to join you all in this lesson. I said she could, if she could win against your newest recruit in a match. Naturally she is very eager to begin so I thought' I'd bring her over now. The sooner this is dealt with the better"

"Couldn't have put it better myself" Mai muttered under her breath but was quickly silenced as the Ancient One shot her a sharp look, before turning to Via.

"So, Olivia. Are you ready?"

"Let's get this over with" Via rolled her eyes, only to catch Stephen's in her glance.

Was it just her, or did he look… _worried_?

But then the look was gone as he and the other acolytes were ushered sideways into the shade under the building columns by Mordo, who was narrowing his eyes slightly at the Ancient One and the two girls.

"Just what have you got planned this time?" he muttered softly to himself as he watched his Master lift her arms, green energy glowing in her palms.

Via could feel the dragon bracelets on her wrists burn slightly as danger was anticipated, the Web of Asibikaashi also glimmering faintly as it released some of its energy into her body. Beside her, Via could also see Mai fingering something silver, before quickly hiding it under her sleeve.

There was a great shuddering beneath all their feet as the earth shook and trembled, much like an earthquake. But instead of fissures forming in the stones below their feet, the stones instead began to rise spiraling upwards into tall pillars of stone, each of a different height.

Then the stone itself began to shift around the pillars, creating different flatter levels, until all that was left of the courtyard was a strange uneven series of platforms and pillars….in short it was the oddest of obstacle courses she'd ever seen.

Via had heard of elemental magic being able to bend the reality around her, but had never actually seen it being practiced out in the open before. True the Ancient One was only changing the stony floor and not completely terraforming a mountain, but still…

She could hear the murmurs of the other students as the Ancient One lowered her hands and turned to both the young acolytes with a small smile.

"Good luck to you both, and may the best woman win"

"I intend to" Mai snapped as the ancient sorcerer walked back to the other students and Mordo who hissed in her ear.

"And what pray tell is the point of all this?"

"To teach a lesson" she whispered back.

"A lesson to who?" Stephen snorted under his breath before he could stop himself.

"We shall see" the Ancient One's smile widened, briefly sparing him a small glance as she flicked out her folding fan.

"Begin" she called loudly.

Mai lunged a staff suddenly appearing in her hands.

Via on the other hand was completely unarmed, the unfortunate result of her playful tussle with Cassian.

 _Gotta get out of her reach. No forget reach I gotta get a weapon._

Via gulped as she ducked and wove around the attacks sent her way.

Eventually she managed to evade one particularly nasty swing by jumping up onto the shortest pillar and then onto a low platform above Mai's head.

"Running? Funny, I thought you were a part of the _Advanced Hand to Hand_ combat class"

"And I thought you might actually grow up and stop being such a brat. But hey! We all can't get what we want." Via spat, her mouth finally unable to keep quiet any longer.

Mai growled and with a remarkably agile flip, jumped onto the same level as Via, only to duck as the latter flung a small shard of stone at her head.

"And what's that supposed to do-mph!" Mai winced as Via's foot suddenly lashed out and hit her square in the stomach.

The hit wasn't heavy, but it gave Via enough time to pull off what she needed.

With a swift strike and a heavy thud of wood, the staff in Mai's hand went flying off the platform and back down to the ground.

"Why you-"

"Shut up and fight" Via cut across Mai who charged again.

This time instead of dodging Via rooted her stance and blocked the oncoming barrage of punches and strikes her way.

The hits of flesh on flesh were hard and sharp and it took all Stephen had not to wince from where he stood on the ground as he watched his roommate stand her ground.

He knew out of the two of them she was the better fighter. Not only was she younger and more energetic, but she was quick thinking and instinctively far keener in anticipating her opponent.

Even as Mai suddenly pulled out a pair of shiny silver daggers from the depths of her sleeves. Two shiny silver daggers that suddenly burst into flames.

He heard the sharp intake of breath and turned to see Mordo's eyes narrow to the Ancient One.

"Are those-"

"The Dragons Teeth." The Ancient One's eyes hardened considerably. "It seems young Mai has _borrowed_ some of her father's relics for her own use"

"We need to stop this before it gets out of hand" Mordo tried to take a step forward but the Ancient One put a hand on his shoulder.

"Not yet. I want to see what she does"

And with that she focused her attention back to Via who was now keeping her distance, as she summoned up two mandala shields to her hands.

 _Okay Via think. She's got two fire knives, what do you have?_

 _Just a silly dreamcatcher and two bracelets and my hands._

A voice sarcastically retorted in her head, only to get quashed down by a third and strangely familiar voice that was not her own.

 _Do what you must do._

"Damn you hag! You're not helping!" she muttered under her breath as with a hard push, the shields forced Mai back a few paces, only to get pushed back herself so that she was precariously one step away from the edge of the topmost platform.

"What was that freak? I didn't quite catch that" Mai hissed as she readied her flaming daggers, her eyes gleaming with triumph as she caught sight of the drop that awaited her prey.

A drop that had Stephen's jaw clenching as he quickly rushed around to view the fight from the other side of the courtyard.

From it he could crane his head up to see Via's back facing him, her heels trembling as they tried and failed to take steps back as she dodged sideways slice after slice.

It wasn't a high enough drop to kill her, but it would do enough damage if she was pushed off with the right force.

"whatever you are thinking of doing Mister Strange" the quiet voice of the Ancient One murmured close by him. "I would suggest holding yourself back"

"This isn't a fair fight" he murmured, his shaking fists clenching tight.

"For Mai? Yes, I suppose it is not that fair." the Ancient One smirked softly as the doctor turned to look at her incredulously.

"But Via's unarmed-"

"Oh, believe me Mister Strange, Miss Summers has a far greater arsenal of weaponry on her person than her opponent" the Ancient One flicked out her fan and fluttered it before her face to cool herself calmly "And I believe that once she learns how to use it in battle as well as she did in your dreams, she will be quite a force to be reckoned with"

"Wait how do you know-What did Mordo-" Stephen spluttered and the Ancient One's smile widened ever so slightly.

"No, Mordo never had to tell me. You could say that I knew it would happen since the first moment Olivia Summers set foot in this monastery."

"What do you mean, you knew? And how did you know it would be me? How…" Stephen's voice fell away as realization dawned. "You set her up with me. You made her share a room with me, knowing full well she might…good lord"

He turned away clutching his stomach as if he'd been winded as he glared at the Ancient One, who was regarding him thoughtfully as he spat:

"You wanted her to get into my head?!"

The Ancient One just shook her head quietly with a small smile.

"No I didn't. But **you** did."

There was a loud collective gasp from the class on the other side and both Stephen and the Ancient One looked up just in time to see Olivia fall backwards off the platform.

"NO!" Stephen called running forwards arm out stretched to cast a spell. But before the spell was even completed, something very strange happened.

In mid fall Via just about managed to turn her body round and slam her hands out to the rocky wall of the platform. As she did so, the dream catcher around her neck glowed a bright blue and gold.

"What the-?"

Now many students and Masters alike who had been watching the fight were now scrambling around the edges of the courtyard for a better look.

Stephen had never seen anything like it.

Via wasn't climbing like a rock climber, or indeed like any human would climb encumbered by weight or strength. She was light on her hands and feet, as if gravity had no effect on her mass at all. If anything, gravity for her had been flipped, especially when she quickly tucked her legs under her and stood up on the wall, her body perpendicular to the ground below.

Meanwhile on the pillar where she stood, Via was admiring the stunned expression on Mai's face as she stared down the length of the drop.

"But…but that's not possible…you're outside the mirror dimension" Mai breathed only to squeak as with a quick run and a jump Via sped up the side of the wall and leapt onto the platform feet first in a square double kick to her chest.

The impact sent Mai flying backwards, down one level and then another before she could quickly right herself just in time to block a heavy blow from Via as she leapt down upon her.

There was the sparks and splutters of flames dying and the tinkle and screech of metal on stone as the two flaming daggers all but fell from Mai's hands, down to the stone tiles on the ground below.

Stephen glanced sidelong as Mordo came rushing forwards for a closer look, only to stare wide eyed with astonishment as Via began to strike, hard, fast and ruthlessly.

Mai was so surprised from her earlier shock that despite all her training she was barely able to block the constant barrage of hits and strikes aimed at her…until one well timed punch hit her square in the face.

Stephen could see in the corner of his eye, Master Fan as he stepped forwards to watch from the shadows of the monastery along with a couple of other masters. His face was livid with wrath but to his credit he held himself back and his posture as stiff and poised as ever.

For one small moment, Stephen felt pity for the austere master. Whilst Mai wasn't exactly the sweetest or kindest of girls, it still must have been difficult for a man such as Master Fan to watch his only daughter be beaten and humiliated in public, even if she did somewhat deserve it.

Stephen quickly turned back just in time to see said girl finally hit the ground below, quickly followed by Via who landed catlike on her feet by her, before straightening up.

"What are you waiting for?" Mai's green eyes flashed hotly as she sat up gingerly nursing her chin "Come on Freak! Just finish the job."

"I already have" Via snorted.

She turned on her heel, sparing a begrudgingly respectful bob of the head towards the Ancient One and the Masters present as she took a step away, only to pause as Mai spat from behind her.

"Pathetic! No wonder your parents dumped you."

Via's vision turned black.

* * *

 _I don't really remember what happened at that point. My mind just totally blanked._

 _One minute I was walking away from a fight, the next I was looking down on Mai my hands wrapped around her throat with both Mordo and Stephen trying to pull me away from her._

 _Of course, as soon as I realized what I was doing I let go of her immediately, but her face was already blue and she'd lost consciousness._

 _If it weren't for Stephen's quick moves to resuscitate her I don't think she would've made it._

 _But that wasn't the worst of it…_

 _You see I did the worst thing anyone in my position could have done._

 _The same thing I did every time I screwed up…_

 _I ran…_

* * *

 **And so that's all for this chapter folks.**

 **So yeah, we get a taste of the dream-dimension and some more of Via's powers. And yeah whilst her and Strange's relationship has been getting more positive i still think that he'd be really shaken up by having anyone get into his head (because let's face it who wouldn't be). H** **e sorta struck me that for Via see him at his lowest point would still be a big wound to his pride despite their friendship.**

 **Just as being pushed away would hurt Via's feelings...yeah...gotta resolve that somehow...**

 **Oh yeah and btw "Oneironautics"** **is a real word that is most commonly associated with Lucid Dreaming _._**

Oneironautics [ah-nayr-o-not-iks] refers to the ability to travel within a dream on a conscious basis. Such a traveler in a dream may be called an oneironaut. - **Wikipedia**

 **It comes from the Greek** **Oneiroi, aka the greek gods of dreams (which include Morpheus, Hypnos etc.) Really interesting stuff if you guys want to read more just look online.**

 **So you guys know the drill by now, review and fave if you enjoyed.**

 **Happy Holidays,**

 **FuzzyBeta**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Chasing Tail**

"What the hell did I do? What the hell did I do?" Via hissed under her breath as she paced up and down the length of the small empty and very dusty classroom, only to stop short of a large spider's web that had stretched over a desk that sat under an open window.

She stared at the pale silken threads her eyes roving to the widow spider that was crawling along the middle of it quite placidly, its thin spindly legs delicately weaving a new cord into place.

It was oddly beautiful, watching the small arachnid pluck and tug and lace its way around its net like a harpist would pluck and tend to the strings of their instrument.

Absently her hands found the strings of the dream catcher that sat over her chest.

"Why me?" she whispered feeling her eyes burn with wet salt as she glared at the spider.

"Why choose me? I was already such a freak before and now…"

She wiped her eyes as the door to the room creaked behind her.

Quickly she turned and saw a man standing in the doorway carrying what looked like a gigantic silver battle axe.

He was a short and stocky man with brown-blonde hair and moustache that covered a round but kindly face and light brown eyes.

For some reason, they looked very familiar to her even as they widened in absolute shock at the sight of her.

"…Freyja? C-could it be-I-is that-" he stuttered as he stopped dead in his tracks.

"I'm sorry but do I know you?" Via stiffened where she stood, but already the stranger was shaking his head and apologizing.

"Oh, I'm sorry miss, you just…forgive me for being so forward but you look remarkably a lot like someone I once knew…" he paused as he scanned her face in more detail, her tear tracks in particular catching his eye "Is everything alright miss"

"Yeah…yeah I'm okay" Via gulped down hard on the terrible lump still lodged deep in her throat as she made to walk towards the door. "I was just going, so uh…if you need this room…well…feel free…"

"Oh well that's very kind of you Miss but it's quite alright-" the man tried to stop her but she was already passing him over the threshold.

"no-no I mean it…I was…I was just leaving anyway"

 _It's better this way…_

Via shook her head to herself as she ran down the corridor, not hearing the man's call to her from the room.

 _The less people that can get to me…the less will get hurt…_

 _Then by that same reasoning just being in this building makes you a threat to everyone here._

Another small voice niggled from inside her head.

She sighed as she fell to a stop down a dark deserted corridor, leaning her head against the stone of the walls.

"I need to get out…" she mumbled to herself for once not caring how mad she thought she'd look "I need to get out of here before I hurt anyone else. Breaking into someone's mind then nearly breaking someone's neck-something's clearly wrong with me. It'll be better if I leave before anyone else gets hurt-"

"Well that's a whole load of horse-shit"

Via wheeled around, hands flying up with two glowing mandala shields at the ready only to falter as she saw who it was.

"Stephen? What are you doing here?"

"Delivering Christmas presents" Doctor Stephen Strange rolled his eyes as he stepped into the light "What do you think I'm doing? I'm looking for you of course. Master Fan's tearing the place apart for you so you can face _justice_ for your crimes"

"So, do I have the right to remain silent, or call my attorney?" Via sneered folding her arms. "Or are you just going to drag me kicking and screaming"

"Via I'm not bringing you in…I'm just…" Stephen groaned in irritation as she quirked a brow at him. "Okay so I am bringing you back but not for Fan. But because..."

He sighed heavily and pinched his nose.

"Listen what happened out there…I know it was shit but-"

"But what? Not as bad as it looks?" Via's voice was shaking with the effort of trying to hold back the tears that had just sprung up again in her eyes. "I nearly killed someone Stephen."

"But you didn't-"

"I had my hands around her throat and she almost stopped breathing. Who in their right mind does that-"

"You were upset-"

"Jesus, why are you trying to justify what I did?!"

"Because I know you Olivia!" Stephen barked over the top of her "I know you are not a murderer, nor are you even close to being one no matter what you say about yourself."

"But Mai-"

"Is fine. She barely needed any resuscitation. Believe me I should know I've dealt with worse cases in the O.R." Stephen waved her off dismissively before grabbing her hand. "Now come on, I've gotta get you to Mordo and the Ancient One before Master Fan gets his hands on you."

But even as he tugged Via wouldn't move.

"Via-"

"Oh, so now it's Via?" She snapped tugging her hand hard out of his grip "Now you're _heroically_ coming to my aid when I'm crying and upset?"

"What are you-"

"Don't play stupid Stephen, it doesn't work for you" Via snarled "This is all-all this caring, you-understand-me bullshit is just you trying to build up your ego again. You just love playing the hero when it suits you don't you? The great _Doctor_ Stephen Strange! Mystic prodigy to the rescue. But no when you have a problem and someone tries to help you, you just can't stand it, so you PUSH them away and treat them like shit. Well guess what I've bloody had enough! I've lived without you in my life before and I can do it again. I don't need you like I didn't need-"

"Your parents?" Stephen provided.

Via's face was now red with anger as she shut her mouth and turned her back on him.

"So…that's what this tantrum is really about isn't it?" Stephen took a step forward, his voice strangely calm and composed as he pressed on "You're not mad at me. You're mad at your parents"

"Wow give the Doctor a prize" Via rolled her eyes but Stephen was not swayed as he continued.

"You think that it was your fault they…" Stephen's voice fell away.

He really didn't know how to say it. To say they left her behind sounded far too dismissive, but to also say abandoned felt far too cruel and harsh to say even by his sharp tongue's standards.

"Go ahead say it." Via growled under her breath "It's my fault that they _dumped_ me in that cesspit to rot. But hey, it's not like they could go to a baby factory and ask for a full refund for a faulty product"

"You aren't a faulty _product_ " Stephen rolled his eyes "For starters buying babies is illegal, not to mention just plain wrong. And secondly, yeah, you're irritating, loud, rude and a pain in my ass. But you aren't faulty…at least not completely"

He added with a small smirk and was relieved to hear her snort under her breath despite herself.

"Bullshit"

"It's not" Stephen reached out to put a hand on her shoulder. "and there is no way you were at fault for what they did. You were just a baby, wait you were a baby when they-"

"Yes" Via rolled her eyes and he chuckled slightly.

"Okay, okay just checking."

Via sighed heavily, scrubbing hard at her eyes again.

"You have no idea what it's like." She mumbled hoarsely "waking up every morning and looking at yourself in the mirror and having no idea about why you look the way you do. I mean was my dad blonde or did my mom have my eyes? Do I have my grandparents nose or ears? Or do I look more like my aunt or uncle because of recessive genes? I know people say that there is more to having a family than blood, but it's the blood of my family that makes me…well me. I just don't understand why other people like that stupid brat Mai can have that basic right to know what they are and I don't…it's not fair…"

"No…life's not fair" Stephen agreed, glancing down at the scars of his hands. "But that doesn't mean that we can't be."

Via looked back at him and was surprised to see sympathy and compassion, quickly being chased up by a strong dose of embarrassment that was accompanied by the characteristic reddening of his cheeks and ears.

"Now come on. Let's sort out this mess once and for all and if you're still feeling up for it you can cry, scream and throw as many tantrums as you want afterwards"

"This coming from the guy who sulks like a two-year-old every time his spells blow up in his face?"

"Just shut up and walk"

Via grunted, gulping down her tears as she made to follow him as he steered her back down the corridor, only to stop short as they reached its end.

"What now?" Stephen groaned but stopped quickly as he caught sight of Via looking back over her shoulder.

"Nothing I just thought I saw…never mind…" she mumbled as she turned back quickly to walk again.

But even so she could not shake off the horrible prickling on the back of her neck, nor the image imprinted on her brain of a shadow moving in the corner…a shadow that didn't belong to her or Stephen.

* * *

 _The meeting with the Ancient One and Master Fan wasn't pleasant._

 _Whilst I explained what had happened on my end, Master Fan was not quite as understanding as I thought he'd be. Turns out the infamous Judge does indeed have a soft spot for his_ _ **lovely**_ _spawn of Satan._

 _Yeah, I know, I admit what I did to her was wrong, but that still doesn't stop her from being an imbecile to me._

 _Thankfully the Ancient One seemed to understand more of what I said, though I got the impression that she probably knew more than what she let on and was keeping quiet (as per usual)._

 _She seemed to believe that any remorse I felt was enough punishment for me, and believe me it was._

 _But it wasn't enough for Master Fan. He swore he would never teach me or instruct me in any form of the mystic arts ever again, a promise he has kept till this very day. (Not that I would ever need him again from that day forth.)_

 _I was glad that Mordo was in the room throughout the entire exchange, even if he didn't say a word._

 _When the Ancient One asked for Stephen to wait outside the room I had been scared that I would be outnumbered and that something horrible would happen. But even though he looked anxious, there was something about Mordo that made me feel secure, grounded._

 _I guess it was because whenever he was around I was quickly compelled to fall back on the training he drilled into me and keep my cool…even though I could feel that he himself was not as collected as I thought._

* * *

"You knew this would happen" Mordo clipped as he slid the sliding door shut, just catching the last glimpse of the very angry back of Master Fan stalking down the corridor.

"I had my suspicions" The Ancient One opened her fan and flicked it slowly in front of her face as she stood up to walk over to her balcony "her powers are growing faster than I had predicted. I was interested to know how fast"

"By offering Fan's daughter as a sacrifice?" Mordo growled as he stepped out to join her. "Had Strange not called out to her when he did she could've killed that girl"

"No. She wouldn't have." The Ancient One glanced down to one of the courtyards, below. "or at least Olivia Summers wouldn't have killed her"

"You make it sound as if the girl was possessed by demons and we both know she's quite safe from that threat within these walls"

"It is ironic you should say that" The Ancient One smirked "For she was possessed. But not by a demon…but by a dragon"

"What do you mean a dragon?"

"The two relics she wears on her wrists, did you not see one of them activate itself?"

"I thought I did, but I was too busy trying to pull her back to be sure." Mordo frowned and the Ancient One's eyes hardened.

"Neither could I at first. But then I felt the tug as she came back to her senses. One of them was blocking her off from her own body"

"But why-"

"Why else but to protect her. Those two relics were created with one purpose in mind. To protect and defend their bearer, especially during times of great stress and turmoil. We should count ourselves lucky that the situation was contained"

"Just barely" Mordo turned to face the now setting sun, "Had you let me intervene earlier-"

"Had you interfered any earlier you would have made it worse" The Ancient One cut across her pupil curtly her face tense "You of all people should know that there are some battles you must fight for yourself, not just for your life but also for your own pride. Had you interfered Olivia Summers would never have gained the confidence she needed to finally use her powers as she needed to."

"But she's not confident, she's scared and who can blame her. She bears more responsibility on her shoulders than some great masters I know"

"Be careful Mordo. Some might think you are letting your affection cloud your judgement"

Mordo gripped his hands behind his back tighter as he felt the Ancient One's eyes scrutinizing his face with a small smirk as she turned her back to the sunset.

"You can't protect Olivia from her destiny forever" she murmured softly "Time always gets what it wants in the end. If you really care about the child, then you'll let her go when it's her time"

Mordo said nothing but kept his gaze rooted to the darkening skies as the door to the balcony shut behind him.

As he looked out he couldn't help but notice a dark figure skulking through one of the courtyards.

A dark figure that looked more like smoke…than a human.

* * *

 _The first night after the whole debacle with Mai was perhaps one of the worst I'd ever faced._

 _Whoever says nothing travels faster than the speed of light obviously was never subject to the Kamar-Taj rumor mill._

 _So many people gave me and Stephen shade on the corridors and in the mess hall for dinner, almost like both of us were diseased. Or rather I was diseased and Stephen was some crazy scientist that was stupid enough to hang around me._

 _The only other people that even acknowledged us were Mordo, the Ancient One (even if it was only a nod of the head) and Cassian, who promptly ran up to me to tell me that Meeta and Arty were going to be in the infirmary for the night and wanted to see me tomorrow ASAP to hear about what happened._

 _Whilst I was still very shaken up, I said yes, or rather Stephen said yes on my behalf and I just nodded. Then Cassian squeezed my shoulder and told me everything was going to be okay._

 _I will admit that when he left my legs almost buckled and I nearly stumbled into Stephen._

 _DAMN THAT BOY!_

 _Ahem, sorry but seriously damn his good looks._

 _Anyways it was a relief to get back into the room, if only because when we were alone Stephen and I could quickly slip back into our old routine…with one or two little changes._

* * *

"Would you keep it down? If he hears you through the portal-" Stephen hissed but the annoyance in his tone was ruined by the way he struggled to keep his own chuckles from escaping him.

"I'm trying okay" Via giggled behind her hand as she watched him open a small sling ring portal that allowed his hand to shoot through to the bookcase it had opened in front of.

As quick as a flash he reached out to grab his prize, trying to hush Via as she burst into another giggling fit.

Not that he could blame her, especially when she could hear the faint throbbing of a very familiar musical beat on the other side accompanied by the occasional line:

 _"If you like it then you shoulda put a ring on it! If you like it then you shoulda put a ring on it!"_

"I wonder if he dances-ooh-ooh quick make another portal and let's see"

"Ah-no" Stephen snorted as he made to quickly open and shut a portal, through which he had stolen a book from what appeared to be a desk. "I may risk his wrath to get books but I will not commit suicide to see him dance"

"Party Pooper" Via poked her tongue out at him as she finally stepped out from the doorway of the bathroom, scrubbing at her damp curls with a towel.

Stephen rolled his eyes fondly, the light of the portal vanishing from his face as it closed.

"Well that was the last one" he groaned as the pulled the tomes over to his lap.

"And you were on such a roll. Still, probably for the best. Any more and he might just sling ring into the room right now" Via chuckled as she sat down at her bed only to frown as she caught sight of the cover of one of the books.

"The Dreams of the Omningri-what the hell is that?"

" _The Dreams of the Oneiri_ It's all about the Dream Dimension and Dream based magic like Oneiromancy." Stephen smirked amusedly holding it up for her to see the third eye symbol pressed into the leather cover.

"Onero-what?" Via frowned.

"Oneiromancy, Dream Prophecising. It's got other stuff in there too like Dream-walking, Lucid dreaming and different dream relics. The only trouble is that it doesn't have any spells to work with" Stephen scowled as he flicked through it.

"Probably for the best." Via shrugged quirking a brow at Stephen as he looked at her incredulously.

"What do you mean for the best?"

"No offence Stephen we all know you're _Oh-so-brilliant" –_ she sarcastically mimed quotation marks in the air _–_ "but you're still human. Keep going as fast as this you're gonna burn out faster than drag racer tires."

"I'm not going to burn out" Stephen mumbled softly and Via was surprised to see his ears go bright pink as he added "And I didn't borrow it for myself. I…I got it for you."

"huh?" Via blinked.

Stephen sighed heavily.

"Listen…I know what happened last night was not your fault. And yeah maybe I might have overreacted, though honestly how else do you expect someone to act when they suddenly have someone walking in their dreams" he added with a small scowl but then quickly coughed. "Anyways I-I figured since you don't know much about what dream magic is…maybe if you read something it might I don't know… help perhaps…"

He trailed off, his cheeks now turning beet red as he held out the book in his hands, his ears positively burning as he tried to avoid seeing her beam up at him as she took the book from him.

"Shut up" he muttered turning his back on her quickly as she giggled.

"I didn't say anything"

"But you were thinking it"

"The only thing I was thinking was that you are redder than Santa's suit" Via shook her head as she put the book on her bedside table.

"I hate you" Stephen grunted as he turned his back to keep shuffling through his new collection of books.

"Uh-huh, sure you do" Via's snorted as her roommate shuffled to the bathroom, scowling with embarrassment.

"Hey Stephen?"

"Yeah?" Stephen paused and turned to see her glancing back at him from her bed, her own cheeks slightly pink.

"Thanks…"

Despite himself, the corners of his mouth twitched upwards gently.

"You're welcome Olivia"

Via smiled, only to have it wiped off as her roommate suddenly chuckled.

"HA! Who's blushing now?"

"Up yours old man. Up yours"

* * *

Mordo's eyes widened as he beheld the sight that greeted him above as he hid around a corner.

There it was, the thing he had seen from the Ancient One's balcony.

It had been three hours ago, and from a distance but the Master of the Mystic Arts was sure that this was his quarry.

It was a dark shadow, or rather a cloud of black smog that slid through a gap in the Kamar-Taj Library door.

 _I must warn Wong_

Mordo thought grimly as he quickly followed the shadow's course into the doorway, only to wince as he walked straight into someone.

"Oof! My word!" a distinctly British voice hissed as both its owner and Mordo both stumbled back the former spilling several books to the floor.

"Here let me" he barely kept himself from groaning in defeat as he helped him pick up the books, hastily checking their surroundings.

But it was too late.

The Shadow was gone.

Mordo turned back to the person he'd bumped into and blinked as he recognized the round blonde moustache face and the shorter stouter build.

"Percival?"

"Oh Mordo m'boy is that you? By the multiverse but what are you doing down here so late at night? Last I checked you aren't usually one to stay up here reading?" the man, Percival's face broke into a wide smile as he looked his younger colleague over.

Despite his frustration Mordo managed to force a "friendly" smile on his face and a chuckle.

"Perhaps in my past I was not. But given the situation nowadays-"

"Ah yes Kaesilius" Percival's face turned grave, an odd expression to grace his kindly features "Yes we've been hearing rumors about his movements. Last I heard he and his followers were leaving a monastery somewhere in France."

"Yes, I heard of that too. On the trail of a relic I presume" Mordo added grimly and Percival nodded quietly.

"Um-hmm, mind you he didn't find anything there. The last relic hidden in that monastery was brought back here to Kamar Taj by me and my men in London nearly twenty years ago but even so…those poor nuns, God rest their souls" Percival shook his head out like a horse shooing flies as he coughed, marking a holy cross over the small gold crucifix resting on his chest.

"Indeed, wars of any kind, magical or mundane, only spell ruin for us all. And worse this one took us by surprise within our own walls" Mordo admitted fists clenching by his sides as he looked around the library at large.

"I know what you mean" Percival agreed as he followed his gaze but then was quick to recover as his face suddenly lit up. "Oh, and speaking of surprises in our own walls you won't believe the one I just had today. You see, I was looking for a quiet place to purify the Axe of Angarruumus and I walked in on this young acolyte. Lovely little thing she was, blonde curls blue eyes"

"Was her name Olivia Summers?" Mordo asked sharply.

"I don't know, she didn't stick around long enough to ask. At first I thought it was the axe, but then she was looking upset before she saw me. But we're getting off topic" Percival shook his head out again "The point is, that girl, looked exactly, and I kid you not, _exactly_ like my old friend Freyja."

"And Freyja is?" Mordo raised his brow.

"Why who else but Master Freyja Sorensen," Percival shrugged "You were only an apprentice at the time but she was-"

"The old keeper of the London Sanctum Sanctorum" Mordo finished eyes widening "No I've heard of her. Didn't she-"

"Disappear? Yes, nearly eighteen years ago, in fact" Percival scratched his chin "She went missing whilst on a mission to retrieve some relic from somewhere in Scandinavia along with Master Fabian Russo. Nobody's ever managed to find hide nor hair of what happened, not even those that have tried to follow in their footsteps. It's like both just vanished into thin air."

"And you believe this missing master looks like one of our new Acolytes"

"Ah she's a new acolyte, that explains it" Percival smiled only to cough quickly as he caught sight of Mordo's questioning look "but yes. Yes, that girl, Olivia or whatever her name is, I swear you not. Is almost like a living breathing replica of that woman. Except for those eyes. No Freyja, she had those rare grey eyes that went all stormy whenever she got-brr" he shivered but then chuckled.

"Oh, look at me, wasting all your time like this, reminiscing about old forgotten masters and new acolytes. You'll want to either get back to bed or read far more informative books than listen to an old man's bumbling"

"On the contrary Percival" Mordo murmured softly as he stroked his chin "Our conversation has been most illuminating indeed"

 _For both me…and my quarry_

He added in his head as he glanced up towards the corner of the library, from which a dark shadow, quickly darted out of sight.

* * *

 **Dun-Dun-DUUUN!**

 **lolz, sorry couldn't resist.**

 **So anyways this chapter's up and i hope you enjoyed it. i might take a short break to catch up on some writing for other fics as well as the usual decking the halls for X-Mas prep, but you can be sure of a new chapter just before the New Year.**

 **Happy Holidays everyone and keep reviewing for more.**

 **FuzzyBeta OUT!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Morning on the Town**

When Via felt, herself floating and falling all at the same time again, she almost could have clocked her head on something hard. Or at least she would have done if there was anything she could bang it against.

"OH, FOR F'S SAKE OLD HAG, SERIOUSLY?! NOW? I JUST SORTED EVERYTHING OUT?!" her dream-self yelled out as her feet made to touch what felt like ground.

But Via did not look down to see it.

For one thing, she knew that if she watched the probably solid yet fluid stuff beneath her she would easily get sick.

For another thing, there were two giant glowing masses that had suddenly appeared before her distracting her completely.

Two massive things with golden reptilian bodies, wings, claws and fangs bared from within sharp horned heads.

She didn't need to be a student of the mystic arts to tell herself that she was seeing dragons. Even a four-year-old child would be able to guess what these massive behemoths were from one look.

Heck, even an amoeba could recognize not one, but the two-massive flying (most likely) fire breathing reptiles that now stood before the young and (understandably) terrified young girl, who fell backwards onto her behind in her attempt to scramble away.

And for good reason.

One of the dragons had opened its mouth and was reaching it out towards her.

"NO! PLEASE DON'T EAT ME!" she cried out, cringing both in fear and in mortification of just how pathetic she sounded when she yelped.

The dragon reaching out to her stopped short and looked down on her, tilting its head.

"Now why would I do that?"

The voice that had spoken was distinctly feminine, but also very deep, mellow, soothing and strangely enough… _amused?_

Via looked up, her fear melting away to very unattractive confusion as she came face to face with the great reptilian head (which was in fact, as long as her whole body)

"'scuse me?" she breathed blinking up at the dragon whom she noticed to have deep dark azure blue eyes.

"I said" the female voice from before spoke again, slipping out from the great reptilian mouth that moved above the girls' head "Why would I eat you?"

"Uh…" Via gulped, eyeing the female dragon and then her companion nervously "Because dragons are, oh I don't know, naturally carnivorous, fire-breathing, man eating monsters?"

Somewhere above her head, a deep guttural definitely male sound filled the air as the other dragon chuckled, his dark ruby red eyes fixing her in a piercing stare.

"The puny child" it laughed "It has been amongst sorcerers for months now and it still does not know of what it speaks. Hmph! I wonder what it tastes like-"

" _Brother_ " the female dragon snapped, narrowing her azure gaze upon him until he could contain his mirth.

When he was quite done, the female turned back to Via, her eyes and tone softening to a gentle purr.

"You must forgive my brother, he can be somewhat cruel in his jesting"

"Yeah…I-I can see that" Via smiled, but the effect was ruined by her shuddering and wide frightened rabbit eyes. "Uh…not to be rude…but what-I-I-mean who are you?"

The female dragon, smiled, not so helpfully revealing a shining set of pearly white fangs and sharp teeth to the still shaken girl as she bowed her head and introduced herself.

"My name is Brynja, master. And the Wyrm headed fool beside me is my brother Asmund" she jerked her head towards her brother, Asmund who tutted, rolling his eyes.

"This child. Is not our master. It cannot be-"

"H-he's right" Via stuttered nodding fervently "I-I'm not the master of anyone or anything! Heck I don't even own a pet rock!"

"WE ARE NOT PETS" Asmund snarled angrily but was forced back by a swift sharp nip to his neck by his sister, who's hackles rose threateningly.

" _Enough_ Brother! Can you not see the poor hatchling is just-"

"What do you mean _poor hatchling?_ " Asmund rolled his eyes "this-this thing is not our master! Our masters of old have always been strongest warriors, great kings. Not some dismal scrawny sack of bones like this worthless little-"

"As always your mind is full of worms" Brynja shook her head on her long neck. "You of all should know by now that strength is not measured by the physical"

"And you should know by now the consequences of letting your bleeding-heart lead us-" Asmund sneered and was not disappointed when his sister's muscles all coiled up as tense as a bowstring as she hissed.

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"Don't act like you don't-"

"Oh, for Pete's sake! WILL BOTH OF YOU JUST CUT IT OUT ALREADY!" Via yelled over the top of the two snarling beasts.

It had taken a while but finally her frustration had won out. And boy did it make the two dragons before her blink at her in surprise as she growled.

"Listen, I have had a _very_ long two days. I've messed with my roommate's dreams, nearly strangled a classmate and on top of that I'm back in this weird dream world again with two bickering dragons and no way to enjoy whatever sleep I have left! So, for God's sake will someone here just explain to me WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!"

Both Asmund and Brynja stared at Via in astonishment, their reptilian heads tilting a little. Then Brynja sighed and swooped her head in close to stare Via straight in the eye.

"Forgive us, master" she bobbed her great head gently "we both forget ourselves in our anger and we do not mean to cause you distress."

"Hmph!" Asmund snorted but huffed in defeat as his sister shot him a glare.

"Thank you" Via sighed heavily. "Now will you please tell me what's going on?"

"We are your guardians" Brynja said softly "And whether you know it or not, we have been protecting you for all your life, waiting for the chance when you were finally strong enough to draw on our powers"

"What do you mean all my life? How have you been…been…" Via's voice trailed off as she looked down to her wrists.

But the two dragon bracelets she so often wore…were not there.

She looked back up, her eyes widening to the size of dinner plates.

As she stared, Via couldn't help but notice a large scar stretching over one of the ruby red eyes. Now that she thought about it, the scar did look a lot like that one scratch mark the dragon bracelet on her right arm usually had…

"You…you both are…"

Both Asmund and Brynja nodded the former leaning forward for the first time to peer into the young girl's face.

"Fine, I guess I can make do with this one. Even if she is just a worm" he grumbled as he leant back, "But if I must listen to that whining witch brat's insults one more time I will finish strangling her"

"WHAT?" Via yelped jumping back and pointing up at him "That was you?! You were the one who made me black out and…and…"

"Defend your honor?" Asmund chuckled darkly "Why yes, yes I did. And now brat, you owe me."

"I owe you?!" Via screeched "You made me strangle someone!"

"Someone who tortures others for her own amusement? You know as well as I, it was only a matter of time before she got her just deserts" Asmund chuckled and Via gaped horrified.

"That's not the point! If I had killed her-"

"Then there would be one less brat polluting the world with its presence" Asmund smirked and Brynja sighed heavily.

"Whilst I do admit that it was satisfying seeing the pathetic dreg pay her dues, she is right brother. Killing the child would have brought unnecessary struggle to our master, or worse. And considering the danger she is in-"

But then she stopped quickly as Asmund glared at her fiercely.

"What danger?" Via frowned, astonished as the two dragons avoided catching her eyes. "Is it Kaesilius?"

"We do not know who this _Kaesilius_ is" Brynja admitted sheepishly.

"But there is something roaming these hallowed halls." Asmund continued, his gruff voice very grim. "Something dark and dangerous"

"You must be careful" Brynja hissed. "It stalks the halls at night and during the day in the longest shadows."

"It looks for you" Asmund's fork tipped tongue flickered out "follows you constantly."

"What do you mean, it follows me? Do I have a stalker or something?" Via gulped, a shiver creeping up her spine as Brynja hissed softly, almost in a whisper that for some reason sounded fainter than before.

"It wants the Web. Its power draws it near as does your own"

"But what is it?" Via called, alarmed as her surroundings began to darken.

"It is an ancient enemy" Asmund's voice spoke in the dark.

"Whatever happens you must never let it have you…" Brynja's purr was beginning to fade.

"Why? What is it?" Via called out.

"Something that will not stop till it finishes you…Olivia Freyja Summers…"

"Olivia Freyja Summers"

"Olivia!"

"Via!"

* * *

"Via! Vee! Snap out of it"

"Move aside Miss Kaur. Wake up Miss Summers. Wake up!"

 _Crack_

Something long and hard wrapped sharply on wood.

"GAH!" Via jerked up in alarm, only to feel her seated form begin to fall backwards.

At once a hand reached out and grabbed her wooden chair, pushing her back into place before her small desk and right in front of the face of…

"S-Sorry Master Harim. I-I just shut my eyes for two seconds" she spluttered as she looked up into the stern face of the elderly master, who quirked a brow down at her as he caught sight of the sweat on her brow.

"Wash your face then come back inside. Perhaps once you have awoken properly we can test you on what you have been paying attention to" he clipped swiping the long ruler in his hand, back behind his back.

"Yes sir" Via sighed, feeling her ears go pink as most her classmates sniggered at her expense. However, when she turned to glare in their direction, they all quickly snapped back to looking at their books, looking nervous …and scared.

Only Meeta beside her looked sympathetic as she raised her hand.

"um sir, may I go with-"

"No Miss Kaur. You may not. Now if you wouldn't mind telling the rest of us the key factors we might consider when it comes to identifying the differences between an illusion cast on an object and a transmutation cast on an object."

Meeta gave Via an apologetic look, but the latter only shrugged as she shouldered her small satchel and trudged out of class.

As she walked, many of her fellow classmates all literally leant away from her, one even picking up his backpack and pulling it into his lap as she lifted her leg to step over it.

 _I guess I should've seen this coming_

She sighed as she shut the door behind her and began to walk down the corridor, rolling her head to ease her stiff neck.

"Great, just what I need a sore back" she grunted as her spine gave a particularly loud crack which reverberated off the walls.

"I just hope Stephen's having a better time of it then…me…" she stopped as she turned a corner and saw the last person she ever wanted to see.

Master Fan striding up the hallway carrying some books.

When he caught sight of her, he glared hard.

"Acolyte" he sniffed.

"Sir" she bobbed her head as he came to a stop just by her shoulder.

"I just saw your dear friend the doctor in his lessons."

"Oh, did you?" Via's jaw clenched stiffly but she held herself in check.

"Yes, and I must say his arrogance knows no bounds. Thinks he can teach the class already just because he's mastered a few spells"

"Yeah, he is an arrogant ass but he's still better than the likes of you and your daughter" Via snarled, her fists clenching tight around the strap of her satchel.

Master Fan just snorted derisively.

"Hmph! Such loyalty you have. Especially for a man that will be soon leaving this place"

"What are you talking about?" Via stiffened and Master Fan shook his head.

"You mean you don't know? Your dear doctor is only here temporarily. Says he's only training here in the mystic arts to heal his damaged hands. Once he's done with that I daresay he'll be looking to return to New York and back to his old life, far away from this one…and far away from you. Don't be sad. This happens here at Kamar-Taj a lot. True some people come here seeking healing and stay on to achieve greatness, but there are some sniveling arrogant cowards like the Doctor who often come for a quick fix before running off with their tails between their legs whence they came"

"Stephen's not a coward. And neither am I"

"No. You're not." Master Fan conceded begrudgingly before adding "You're just an orphan who's so desperate to be loved you'll take whatever affection you can get from anyone or anything that shows you even the slightest bit of attention."

"You say that." Via spat glad she was still holding onto her satchel in her hand for fear she'd lunge out and punch him at a moment's lapse in control "but I'd rather be an orphan on the street then be your kid. I may not have had the best upbringing, but at least I know how to show respect to people that deserve it. And right now, the dirt on my shoe has more dignity then you"

There was a pause in which Via saw the master's green eyes flash vibrantly and his fingertips charge with mystic energy as he hissed softly.

"Be careful who's shoes you choose to tread on, Miss Summers. You never know if they'll strike back"

Almost sensing the waves of magic, the two dragons around her wrists glowed softly.

She could almost hear Asmund's deep guttural growl in her head, accompanied by Brynja's soft hiss.

But before she could even open her mouth, the old Master was already turning the corner out of sight.

Via gritted her teeth, her grip on her satchel tightening into a vice as she briskly made her way down the corridor and out into one of the upper courtyards.

It was mostly empty, save for a couple of older students and masters who were taking the time to practice their spells or practicing their martial arts on the wooden posts positioned at one end.

Via quickly chose one that was at the end opposite her which was conveniently far away from anyone else. Not that any of the people present paid her any heed other than the one glance to see who was joining them.

Swiftly she discarded her heavier outer tunic of black revealing the blue sleeveless one she wore beneath. The muscles in her toned shoulders twitched slightly as she readied herself before her target.

Then she lunged.

* * *

The Ancient One sighed softly to herself as she watched the tall form of Stephen Strange walk out of the Mirror Dimension. She had just begun his advanced training, and so far, he seemed to adapt quickly.

But there was one thing that still worried her. Something that still made her stomach churn as she followed the good Doctor's footsteps through the portal and back into the normal world outside.

She barely paid much attention as she dismissed her pupil and stalked off towards the tall parapet walls of the Kamar-Taj Monastery her eyes all the while watching the courtyards below like a hawk.

It was growing dark and many students and masters were leaving their training to go get dinner or to bathe. All save one, a blonde headed female figure striking relentlessly at a wooden practice post.

 _Olivia Summers…a living conundrum if I ever saw one…_

Each move was dealt with ferocious but precise dexterity, but it was the face of their executor and not their quality that held the attention of the Sorcerer Supreme.

The girl's face was focused but so much so that she was now in a daze in which she didn't seem to notice anything else, not even noticing the light around her exponentially dimming as the sun sunk lower and lower under the horizon.

Tilting her head slightly the Ancient One's eyes welled with pity as after fifteen minutes of watching the girl hurled a heavy punch into the post, letting loose a cry of frustration and anger that echoed loudly through the chilly night air, before falling to her knees clutching tightly at her hurt hand.

Then the Ancient One saw the person walking towards her.

 _Now…what do you think you're up to?_

* * *

When Via hit the post, she had used all her strength. Unfortunately, the post was made of wood imbued with magic that made it feel like she was hitting her hand against solid concrete.

With a groan of pain and frustration she fell to her feet barely hearing another person's footsteps as they hurried towards her.

She gulped nervously as Cassian's face loomed down above her.

"You okay? What happened?" he crouched down beside her.

"I'm fine, just hit the post too hard" she mumbled, looking down at the ground as she tried to hide her watery eyes and her hand against her chest.

But Cassian it transpired was far more perceptive than she gave him credit for.

"Yikes what did you do? Try to smash a stone troll"

"If only" Via muttered thickly she wiped her nose. "nah…it's nothing…just had a bad day…needed to vent is all"

"On the poor post?" Cassian quirked a brow and she rolled her eyes with a hollow chuckle.

"the poor post? Puh-lease! The only sad thing that ever happened to it was that someone didn't burn it when they had the chance"

But Cassian didn't smile at the joke. Instead his lips pursed with worry.

"Meeta told me what happened in class"

"Oh did she now? Did she mention anything else, like that anyone who even so much as looks at me feels the need to either wash themselves clean or burn their clothes. Did she mention that she now must probably have to face the embarrassment and shame of being friends with a weird girl off the streets who strangled another girl in class just because of a stupid comment she should've ignored?"

Via knew her only female friend was worried about her, but there was something really satisfying about acting extraordinarily bitchy right now.

Maybe it was her frustration.

Maybe it was the hurt.

All Via knew was that she was sick of being the source of ridicule and slander and wanted someone else to feel the hurt for once because by thunder she was sick of being everyone's personal emotional dummy.

Cassian sighed as he seemed to read her stormy blue eyes.

"Actually, she just said that you got in trouble for falling asleep at your desk and people in class are still being ass's and need to grow some balls before they start judging others. Also, she said try to make sure Via doesn't do anything stupid before dinner"

"Phff! Too late for that" Via snorted bitterly holding up her now bruised and slightly raw knuckled hand.

"Too true" Cassian chuckled, smiling wider as she narrowed her eyes at him. "And there she is! Via Summers it's good to have you back, where you been? We've been worried sick"

Despite herself the corners of Via's mouth twitched upwards even as she tried to look down at the floor again, her cheeks flushing an embarrassed shade of pink as her eyes spilled over.

"hey" Cassian's face softened as he reached out to wrap his arms around her shoulders "Hey. Come here. Come here"

Via fought desperately to hold back on all the emotions that ran through her but was betrayed by her trembling lip and her shaking shoulders, as Cassian carefully drew his hands to her cheeks.

"Sorry. It's just…I've had a really crappy day," she blubbered as he wiped her cheeks clear of the tears.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" he asked gently and she shook her head down to her toes.

"No it's okay…It's just… you're the first person apart from Meeta who's actually talked to me like I'm not diseased, or whatever everyone else thinks I am…" she trailed off.

Cassian's eyes hardened to sharp daggers.

"Is it Strange? Is he mistreating-"

"No! god no" Via mumbled hoarsely as shook her head scrubbing furiously at her eyes "No everything's okay with Stephen. Or…at least I think it is,"

"What do you mean? What happened? Oh wait a sec." Cassian stiffened as he caught sight of a couple of Masters walking around the outskirts of the courtyard, one of whom both teens recognized as Wong.

Quick as thinking he grabbed her hand and began dragging her away to the other side of the courtyard and into the shadows of a pillar.

"Thanks" Via sniffed. "Wong's nice guy and I trust him but-"

"But you don't want him to worry." Cassian finished nodding before grinning slyly "I understand…Mordo's pet"

Via's sniffles turned into a small scowl.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" she puffed folded her arms and Cassian chuckled.

"Nothing I just wanted to yank your chain a bit, you seem so tense."

"Sorry" Via sighed and he patted her shoulder.

"Don't be. Besides you should take it as a compliment. Master Mordo is not a person that is easily impressed. I should know, I've been training here since I was seven."

"You've been here that long? How come?" Via's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"My parents are dead." Cassian shrugged, his brown, now slightly misty, eyes darting to the floor as he casually leaned against a pillar. "My mom died giving birth to me and then my dad was killed six years later by another sorcerer. Both were Masters of the Mystic arts so after my dad died the Ancient One took me in."

"I'm so sorry," Via murmured "You must miss them."

"Yeah…I guess I do sometimes" Cassian nodded quietly "But It's okay. It's all in the past. And it wasn't all that bad. When I was younger I used to stay with Arthur and his family quite a bit, then when we both hit the double digits we began our training here together"

"So that's why you guys are so close" Via breathed and Cassian nodded again.

"Yeah, Arty's like a brother to me and Meeta's like my annoying, goodie-two-shoes sister" he added and Via snorted with laughter, slapping his shoulder playfully.

"Don't be mean,"

"Ow. Save those for the practice dummy" Cassian winced, but he couldn't quite rid himself of the small smile creeping up his lips. "What about you? What happened to your parents?"

"My parents…" Via snorted derisively "Never met them in my life."

"What like, not even when they left you at the orphanage?" Cassian frowned and Via shook her head, her fists clenching by her sides.

"No…according to my file I was just a few weeks old when they..."

"Oh…woah" Cassian whistled. "That's…that's rough"

"Yeah…tell me about it. And what's worse is that they left these things on me and no note whatsoever" Via groaned, holding up her two wrists showing the two dragon bracelets.

"So they leave you jewelry but no note explaining why?" Cassian frowned as he looked at both the trinkets "Far out! I don't know whether to be curious or pissed off on your behalf. I mean if either of my parents did that to me I would've like, blown a gasket by now."

He eyed Via's forlorn expression closely as she avoided his gaze.

"Is that why you flipped out at Mai?"

Via nodded silently and Cassian sighed and pulled back slightly, not in disgust, but more out of contemplation.

Despite herself, Via couldn't help but admire his chiseled features as he leaned back against the pillar, folded his arms and shut his eyes for a second. He was like a marble statue, stoic, strong but subtle as well, as his warm melting eyes found hers as they slid open.

"You said something about something happening with Strange?"

"Oh that" Via sighed heavily. "Well…nothing really happened with him…directly that is. I mean, we've been okay, actually he's been really nice about the entire thing with Mai,"

"Funny, I'd have thought he of all people would've been extremely judgmental" Cassian frowned.

"What do you mean? He of all people?" Via growled, suddenly feeling her gut heat up hotly.

"Woah, hold your horses" Cassian held up both his hands in surrender "I didn't mean it like that. I just meant…Strange…he seems so aloof and well haughty."

"That doesn't mean he's a bad person" Via's eyes narrowed.

"I-I know…it's just…you've got to admit, he's not exactly the most approachable person in the multi-verse. But with you…I don't know, he's just…different…"

"Different?" Via's scowl softened to a frown as she watched the young man before her shove his hands in his pockets.

"In class he's always so full of himself and a pain in the ass to the other Master's. But with you…you both argue and squabble but he respects you. Even though you don't know as much as he does he still treats you like you're his equal. Weirder still, he says he hates kids, but if something happens to you he's clucking around you like a mother hen about her eggs."

"Jealous much?" Via couldn't help but snort only to fall short as Cassian slowly stepped towards her smirking.

"Very"

"I…" Via gulped as he stepped up to be toe to toe, her back gently hitting the stony surface of the stone wall behind her. "If you want I could put in a good word for you with Stephe-"

"I'm not talking about Strange" he cut across her, hand carefully coming up to swipe a gold curl from her face.

As he did so, something like silvery light trickled from his fingertips, like a tiny wisp of visible wind that sped down her spine and throughout her entire body.

She shivered slightly, bristling against her clothes as she felt the material about her form shift slightly, her legs suddenly prickling with goosebumps.

Then suddenly the strange gust retracted, and she felt a slight draft from a distance, as if a blast of cool air had just wooshed past her.

She opened her eyes and blinked at the sight that met her.

Cassian was no longer in his acolyte's robes, but a dark red T-Shirt, black jeans and black jacket and sneakers. The effect was such that everything from his toned chest to his strong calves was highlighted, and boy was Via feeling the heat rise in her cheeks even as he looked her up and down with a soft smile.

"Oh good, the dress suits you"

"Wait wha?" Via looked down herself and gasped as she saw she too was no longer in her black Kamar Taj clothes. Instead she was in a short white dress with a slim tan belt around her waist, opaque black stockings and boots and a warm dark blue bomber jacket.

"How on earth-"

"Transmutation spell." Cassian winked as he adjusted his shoelaces on his sneakers. "I morphed the existing clothes outer clothes into what you're wearing now. Mind you I'm not too good with girls' clothes so I just copied something out of Meeta's wardrobe, i-if that's okay with you?" he added his cheeks dusting pink as did hers.

"Yeah…yeah it's cool. Thanks, but…uh…why?" Via bit her lip nervously as she felt around her wrists and neck.

But it was all good, both her bracelets and dreamcatcher were there.

"Don't worry, the spell only affected cloth. I can't really work metals or other materials yet, especially not enchanted ones. And as for where we're going…"

He left the sentence hanging with a characteristic smirk and the raising of his hands.

Via felt her heart almost stop in her chest as with a few circular movements of his hands a sparkling circular portal appeared before them.

"Cass! What are you doing?" she hissed in alarm as she wheeled about in panic. But no one, not even Mordo was there anymore.

In fact, now that Via thought about it, everywhere around them looked absolutely deserted.

As if reading her mind, Cassian held out his hand to her.

"Everyone's at dinner. But personally, I feel in the mood for take-out"

"Won't we get in trouble?" Via gulped as she tried not to think about how loud the sparking of the portal before them seemed to be in the otherwise still night air.

"Not if they catch us. Now come on" Cassian grabbed her hand and quickly dragged her through the portal which spun shut behind them in a whir of sparks and light, neither of them noticing the shadow that slipped in behind them.

* * *

 _Argh! Where is she? It's past seven o clock, she should be here by now._

Stephen Strange looked about the table at which he sat. Nearly everyone at Kamar Taj was there eating dinner…all save his roommate, which was odd because if her teachers were to be believed, she had not appeared to classes for the entire day.

That on its own, was unusual. Via wasn't one to shirk off classes unless she had a very good reason. In that way, he was quite pleased to say, she was usually a good student.

So, where could she have gone?

Little did he know he wasn't the only one wondering that.

* * *

When Via first stepped through the portal the first thing she noticed was the smell.

Yes. The smell.

Why the smell you ask?

Because she had smelt it every day of her life from the day she had been born.

"New York?" she wondered as she looked around the spot she and Cassian had appeared.

It was indeed New York City, but it was nowhere she knew immediately.

They were both in some alleyway in-between a set of very tall apartment blocks. A dumpster was a few meters away to their right sitting just under the first-floor fire-escape of the building it was next to.

"Manhattan to be exact" Cassian grinned as he gripped her hand tighter in his and tugged her forward "Come on, the diner is this way"

"Diner?"

"Yeah, I do believe I said I'd treat you to dinner" Cassian's grin widened mischievously as her stomach gave a small warble of hunger, much to her embarrassment.

"No-no-it's okay really" Via stuttered her face turning red "I don't need-I-I can go without…I-I can't"

"And why not?" Cassian quirked a brow, only to frown as she mumbled under her breath. "Sorry I didn't quite catch that?"

"I…I don't have any money to p-pay for myself…" she mumbled feeling her cheeks burn like they were on fire as Cassian chuckled.

"Pff! Don't worry about money. Like I said, I promised to treat you to dinner, and treat you I shall"

"B-but-" Via began but was quickly silenced by a finger to her lips.

"Up-pup-pup-pup! Not a word. _I'm_ treating _you_ , to dinner and anything else you want to do afterwards…uh…sorry that sounded a lot less dirty in my head" he grinned sheepishly as he withdrew his hand and Via couldn't help but giggle.

"It's okay. Better than Arty's _Don't worry you will feel good afterward I promise_ "

"Yeah what was he talking about?" Cassian snorted and Via smirked.

"I think he was talking about cracking Max's back after training. He said it was feeling kinda stiff. Oh, shut up you know what I mean" Via slapped Cassian's shoulder hard as he burst into a fit of giggles.

But he was quick to grab her arm and loop it through his both their laughter growing louder as they stepped out into the street before them.

Via was almost surprised to see how dark the city was. Some of her confusion must've shown on her face because Cassian chuckled.

"We're thirteen hours behind Tibet at the moment. But it's okay, the twenty-four hour Shawarma place is just up the road"

"Shawarma?"

"Trust me you'll love it."

* * *

Everyone in the multiverse is linked.

No one knew that better than the Sorcerer Supreme herself.

Indeed, at that very moment she could feel the connections of all the people in the monastery-no-in the entire city she resided in.

Like threads in a tapestry, or notes in a symphony piece each person, great and small alike, played a vital role in the fabric of the universe.

So, when she felt one of the most powerful of these close connections suddenly fade from her immediate sixth sense along with another reasonably average mystical presence, she felt her heart drop like a stone in a very deep pond.

"What is it?"

The Ancient One barely heard Mordo as she placed her knife and fork down on her plate hurriedly.

"Ancient One?" Mordo frowned only to pause as he and a couple of the other masters around him caught sight of her face.

Her pale skin was now chalk white.

The Masters of the Mystic Arts had seen that look before and it didn't bode well.

"Excuse me gentlemen," she murmured as she stood up swiftly and began to walk away, putting a hand up to stop them from following her.

Mordo watched her back as she walked. It was stiff, ramrod straight.

The sight was enough to make his gut churn slightly as he too set down his cutlery and excused himself to follow her footsteps.

The Ancient One wasn't worried, no, she was scared.

But what was she scared about?

* * *

The Shawarma joint was small but clean, or at least it looked mostly clean even in the dim light of the diner.

There were only two men in the place, a Caucasian man with short beard and wearing an AC-DC hoodie and sunglasses as he slouched in a corner booth by the window whilst the other was running the open kitchen and cashier while three columns of meat slowly roasted vertically behind him.

The smell was to die for and Via could not help but almost drool as she and Cassian both quickly walked to sit in a booth on the side opposite the man in the hoodie, who chanced them a quick glance before turning back to the smart phone in his hand.

Or was it a smart phone?

Via couldn't help but frown as she saw the rectangular piece of tech in the man's hand looked more like a framed piece of glass with glowing writing.

Now that she thought about it, and her eyes flickered up to the tech-owner's face, didn't he look very familiar?

She was brought out of her reverie by a hand gently touching hers.

"Vee…you okay?"

"Yeah…just checking the surroundings" she muttered and Cassian nodded in understanding and slight amusement.

"Don't worry this place is pretty safe, and don't worry about that" he jerked his head towards the mysterious stranger in the corner opposite them "That's why I took this seat, so we can keep an eye on him at all times…plus we get a pretty nice view of the street."

"Yeah. I suppose we do" Via sighed heavily, as she picked up her menu and quickly selected one of the cheaper beef shawarmas, whilst Cassian picked out a chicken one and went to order and pay for them.

As he did so, Via could not help but glance at the man in the corner again.

She could've sworn his face was jarringly familiar, as images of it from newspapers kept popping out in her head like fireworks. Then there was the way he kept looking between his strange phone and her face. She could tell he was doing this even when his eyes were hidden behind his sunglasses because every time he looked up at her his head tilted the slightest bit away from the phone.

Carefully she leaned forwards onto her elbows, pretending to be interested in the sunrise that was starting to peep out from the windows outside, flooding the diner with a dusty pink and golden light.

She felt his eyes follow her, not in the licentious way she'd come to know from some men from her time on the streets. No, this familiar man was just as wary of her as she was of him, but not wary enough to cover his small smirk of amusement as she caught his glance through the corner of her eye.

"Everything cool?" She asked quietly as Cassian walked back to the table holding their number.

"Yeah, but they were all out of Chicken so I had to go with Beef as well"

"Aw that's too bad" Via shrugged, finally tearing her eyes away from the stranger in the corner. and Cassian frowned slightly as he glanced at the spot.

"Is he bothering you?" he whispered but she shook her head.

"He's probably just wondering what two teenagers are doing in a shawarma joint in New York City at six in the morning" she reasoned.

Cassian didn't look too convinced but thankfully decided to drop the matter as he leaned forwards to murmur.

"Now will you tell me what's going on and why you were practically decimating a practice dummy?"

Via sighed, what felt like for the umpteenth time that day and pinched the bridge of her nose.

He really wasn't going to let this drop, was he?

"Fine…It was right after Master Harim booted me out of class"

"Why did Master Harim kick you out of class?" Cassian frowned worriedly.

"Because" Via quickly paused as the man from the counter suddenly appeared, setting down their food before them, before shuffling off sleepily to stand behind the counter "Because I fell asleep at my desk"

"and he made you go out to freshen up" Cassian finished comprehension dawning. "That makes sense. He doesn't like it when his students can't concentrate. Don't take it to heart, he does that with everyone-"

"No that's not it" Via shook her head into her hand, then let out a soft groan of aggravation.

"So I left class, everyone avoiding me like the bubonic plague, and well…I ran into Master Fan"

"Oh…that must've sucked" Cassian hissed wincing with sympathy as Via snorted into her shawarma roll.

"You don't know the half of it."

"What did he say?"

Via sucked in a deep breath to compose herself, but for all the good it did her she should not have breathed at all as everything came tumbling out in a hurried whispered rush.

"So get this, he's all pissy with me and yeah I understand where he's coming from. I mean, yeah so I might have nearly strangled his daughter but I said I was sorry. But no, it's not enough for the father of poor Mai, now is it? No! He must go ahead and be an arse, not just about me but about Stephen too. I mean, if you have a valid reason to be mad at me, be mad at me but don't try to drag my roommate into it"

"Strange? But what does Strange have to do with-"

"Nothing…Stephen has nothing to do with it" Via cut across him curtly but she couldn't help but add "It's just…Master Fan said…oh shit"

She set down her shawarma to wipe at her eyes which had begun to burn again as fresh tears formed.

"Here" Cassian murmured gently, holding up a paper napkin to dab at her cheeks.

"Thanks" she murmured hoarsely as she tried to take it from him, only to have him cup her cheeks, his brown eyes stern and serious.

"Hey, look at me" he muttered as she tried to avoid his gaze "Listen…I don't know what's really going on…and I don't know how on earth you got here to Kamar Taj, whether it was fate, destiny…or something else entirely. But whatever it was …I'm glad it got you here. I truly am. And if anyone here wants to kick you out just because you made one mistake then they'll have to go through me…and Meeta and Arty too I guess" He added quickly but Via was quick to notice the small flush on his cheeks as he began to ramble on.

"Meeta especially because, let's face it she becomes a one-woman army when someone she cares about is threatened."

"Yeah…you're right" the corners of Via's mouth twitched upwards in a small smile, all the while not noticing the small frown as the stranger in the booth across the room quickly directed his strange phone at her face for a moment before tucking it away and quickly looking back out the window.

He only moved again when the two teens finally finished their meal and left through the front door. The diner owner had just turned his back to clean a counter top and he'd seen his chance.

With a couple of strides and a quick swipe he slid the straw from the girl's drink and held his strange phone to it. At once a screen popped up with a loading bar and a blue light.

"Hey Jarvis" he muttered quietly making sure not to move his lips too much as he checked over his shoulder for privacy.

" _Yes Mister Stark"_ a distinctly male but computerized voice suddenly spoke in the man's ear.

"Run a DNA test on this sample I'm sending you. I want to know why a young doppelganger of M.I.A SHIELD agent Freyja Sorensen was sitting in a New York Schawarma joint right opposite to me at the crack of dawn"

 _"_ _Sir, I fail to see how this is relevant to your current search for the Sceptre-"_

"It's not i'm just bored" the man admitted before smirking "let's just call it a fun little _side project_ "

 _"_ _Of course sir"_

* * *

"This should be interesting" Tony Stark muttered to himself as he quietly began to walk out the Schawarma diner and into the grey of early morning New York City.

The Ancient One rarely lost her temper.

But tonight, it was sorely being pushed to the brink.

The girl had vanished from her immediate vicinity that much was certain, but she, The Ancient One, hadn't a clue where she had gone.

It had been a long while since someone had given her the slip, and quite frankly the Ancient One wondered if she should be surprised that it was Olivia Summers that had achieved this feat.

After all, she had surprised her in many a way since her arrival at Kamar Taj, as had Doctor Stephen Strange.

 _Never in all my years have I encountered two souls so frustratingly spontaneous or curious._

She fumed silently in her head as her mind wandered back to the memory of a few days ago, a memory of when the young blonde acolyte had managed to win her duel against her arch rival.

Whilst the Ancient One had known that the Web of Asibikaashi's power had been growing, she had not yet expected the girl to embrace her abilities so readily. The way she had ran up the side of that rock, the way she instinctively blocked a blow within a split second.

 _It was as if she was born to wield it…_

Rarely had she seen such a quick bonding between sorcerer and relic. But that still didn't mean the girl's journey was over yet.

Oh no. Her journey was barely beginning.

The Ancient One stopped in her tracks as the back of her neck prickled.

Someone, or rather, something was behind her, she could feel it.

But it wasn't human, (or at least it wasn't Mordo since she was sure she had lost him several corridors ago).

Her fingers twitched, energy dancing off their tips before trickling down to her palm as she concentrated hard on the spell.

It was right there, just above close to the ceiling…waiting to pounce.

With a fierce swipe of her hand, she wheeled around, a blast of white light exploding forth, so bright that the two figures that had just rounded the corners on either end of the corridor both shielded their eyes with their hands.

"What the-" Stephen Strange almost flew backwards on his end, whilst Mordo instinctively dodged to the side to avoid a stray streak of white hot energy that had sparked off in front of him

Then it was gone.

"Got you" a voice puffed and both Mordo and Stephen lowered their hands and opened their eyes just in time to see The Ancient One scowling as she examined something on the floor.

In the middle of the cold hard stone floor was a shimmering transparent bubble hovering about a foot of the ground.

Inside it something dark swirled ominously around, twisting and writhing. But no matter how much it struggled, it's strange cage would not budge.

"Care to explain what on earth _that_ is?"

Mordo turned to see Stephen looking at the thing in the bubble warily.

"I do not know" the Ancient one admitted quietly. "But I think we will soon."

She turned back to the glowing bubble in which the strange black mass was quickly ceasing to move.

Mordo and Stephen watched closely too.

Was it just them, or was the strange thing…solidifying?

"What on earth?" Mordo stepped forwards as the bubble began to descend, popping as its occupant settled on the ground, seemingly drained of all energy.

A strange flumping sound hit their ears as it fell the last centimeter, the glow around it's cage vanishing into the torchlight as the Ancient One crouched on the ground beside it.

"A cloak?" Stephen breathed as the thin jet black fabric was lifted up and the hiss of something silky and smooth filled the air.

"No…not a cloak." Mordo muttered as he stepped forwards and took the garment from his leader. "A relic"

"The Veil of Enenra" the Ancient One murmured darkly. "It is a dark relic made from the spirit of a type of Japanese Yokai, an artefact in short, that should not be taken lightly."

"Why? What does it do?" Stephen asked nervously as he eyed the relic. Was it just him or was the outline of the garment slightly blurred to his eyes?

"It grants the wearer the ability to turn into smoke whenever they wish and remain hidden in the shadows. Once they choose to hide themselves the wearer is nearly impossible to see to everyone else except by those who are pure of heart…or those trained in the mystic arts" Mordo muttered as he gently held it up and away from his body. "Most of the time it is attracted to sorcerers of darker ambitions and great power"

"So if that's the case then where is it's Master? Shouldn't he or-or she be here wearing it?"

"They don't have to" the Ancient One muttered grimly as she took the enchanted garment carefully from Mordo. "The Veil of Enenra is partially sentient and can sometimes move about on its own if its master allows it, watching and waiting. It can even kill if ordered to"

"And how-oh…" Stephen gulped slightly as the black cloak's hem shifted between cloth and a dark smoky substance that hovered just above the floor. It looked rather like the dark smog of dirty jet black coal and smelled of burning soot.

"I think it best to put it back under a protective barrier for now" Mordo suggested and Stephen couldn't blame the Master for sounding rather nervous.

"Yes, I think that would be best." The Ancient One nodded in agreement and with a few swift sweeps of her hand the Veil of Enenra was once again scooped up and encased in a translucent, glowing bubble of energy which she projected forwards to Mordo.

"Take this to the Hong Kong sanctuary and tell Master Matsuyama to help you secure this relic in a safe and isolated location under many sealing spells. We might not know who sent it, but we can be sure that they will not be able to hide themselves in their infiltration of this Monastery anymore."

"Of course" Mordo nodded and without a second glance swiftly turned on his heel and strode away, the cloak in its barrier hovering in between his hands before his body.

Stephen watched them go, but even as the Ancient One turned to face him his jaw tensed.

"Is this how Kaesilius managed to cast that spell on-"

"Yes I believe it is" The Ancient One sighed, her expression softening as she caught sight of the sudden fear seeping into the Doctor's often stony face. "Do not worry. Olivia should be quite safe now-"

"She should've been safe the minute you dragged her in here all those months ago" Stephen rumbled through pursed lips his fists clenching and shaking from the pain and effort.

"Perhaps. But given the grim circumstances she has adapted to survive rather well-"

"She should not have needed to adapt to survive" Stephen snapped his voice now ice "She's young. And young people shouldn't just survive. They need to _live_ "

The Ancient One smirked knowingly.

"And you tell yourself you do not like children."

"Via doesn't count. She's just my roommate who just happens to be fourteen years old" Stephen stated coldly, bristling as he felt the Ancient One's shrewd gaze hit his skin, making it feel like millions of ants were crawling around under it.

"So it wouldn't bother you if I told you that barely an hour or so ago your _roommate_ left Kamar-Taj in the company of a young teenage boy to a destination unknown in the middle of the night?"

It took all the Ancient One had in her not to laugh as Stephen's face paled with comical results.

Yes, it was worth capturing a dark relic and listening to a few snarky comments to make Stephen Strange speechless with shock and worry.

"That stupid girl…What on earth is she thinking?!"

Well not quite speechless.

* * *

Morning light was now golden bright over New York City.

 _Hmm…that's nice…_

Via shut her eyes, basking in its glow as she and Cassian walked arm in arm through Central Park.

"You seem happy?" Cassian smiled down at her and Via jolted out of her stupor with a small start.

"Sorry" she blushed pulling away slightly "I just…I never realized how much I loved New York in November. For so long I had been living on the streets in dumps or in that dingy orphanage and it wasn't until I left that I realized-"

"Just how much you missed it?" Cassian finished.

"Yeah" Via smiled softly as she looked up into the trees above. "I mean Autumn here in Central Park is great and all, but you've seen nothing till you've seen it in spring, it's like, totally amazing"

"I suppose" Cassian shrugged "But between you and me I think it'd probably look better when it's Winter with all the snow."

"Honey puh-lease you'd be singing a different tune if you had to sit here during Christmas and New Year's. This place looks nice but it is more frigid than Master Forn's stone cold behind"

"Pff! You're terrible!"

"But –ha- it's so true!"

They both laughed, so loudly that a couple of tourists walking past them both jumped in surprise.

They continued walking, all the while giggling as they approached the graceful arch of the Gapstow bridge.

It was mostly empty save for one man who stood to the side, looking over the water.

He was tall and built more solidly than an ox, so big that next to Via he would have looked like a giant. His hair was dark and shaggy half hidden under a black baseball cap that matched his dark zipped up jacket. Though it was a large article of clothing, it seemed to strain a fair bit against the ripped muscles underneath even as he turned his head to cautiously watch the two teens pass him.

Via would've normally overlooked him (she had seen a lot of suspicious and thuggish people in her time on the streets) had it not been for their eyes meeting momentarily.

Time seemed to slow down to a screeching halt as she and the stranger locked eyes, blue meeting blue. The man's mouth parted slightly as his gaze swept over the young girl's face, starting with her eyes and then to her chin.

"Freyja?" his voice was barely more than a breath.

"huh?" Via blinked.

She felt Brynja and Asmund both pulsing with energy under the sleeves of her jacket as the man quickly shut his mouth and lifted a hand up adjust his cap, something silvery flashing at her from a gap between the dark glove he wore and his jacket cuff.

 _Wow is that a watch or something because if so it is shiny!_

Via winced as the strange silvery thing caught the sunlight, momentarily blinding her for a split second before quickly vanishing as the man turned on his heel and stalked away, head hunched and pace fast.

"What the hell was that about?" Cassian quirked a brow and Via frowned.

"I don't know. Weird" then she yawned.

"Sorry" she mumbled blinking her heavy eyelids as Cassian checked his watch.

"We should be getting back soon. It's almost nine back in Kamar-Taj"

"Damn curfew will be in effect" Via mumbled sleepily as she tried to suppress another yawn.

Cassian pursed his lips to stop himself from yawning in sympathy as he grabbed her by the hand and dragged her over to the other side of the bridge and down below to the shadows under the arch.

Once there he quickly opened a sling ring portal and drew her through it in one smooth pull.

Via winced as suddenly with one step over the threshold of sparks, the bright New York morning was replaced by the darkness of night and a starry sky above her head.

"I'll never get used to that" She grumbled and Cassian smirked turning to her.

"So…you feeling better?"

"Definitely" Via admitted her lips quirking upwards in a small smile as her cheeks burned pink "I mean it's not every day you get to go out for dinner in the morning at a twenty-four-hour Shawarma joint"

"That is very true" Cassian nodded, stepping closer and pulling up a hand to her face.

"I'm glad you had fun. You really looked like you needed to let off some steam"

"You could say that again" Via agreed, her heart nearly skipping a beat or two as she felt him tuck a golden curl back behind her ear all the while leaning forward.

"Via" he whispered as he came up close "I've…I've got a confession. I didn't just drag you out there because you looked like you could use a break. I wanted to-I-I mean to say is that for the longest time I-"

But Cassian's rambling was cut short by a pair of lips pressed against his…a pair of lips that quickly flew off his as their owner gasped in horror.

"I-I" Via spluttered her face redder than a fire hydrant "I'm sorry-I don't-I didn't mean-I-I-I -"

But then it was her turn to be cut off as Cassian leaned forwards swiftly.

His kiss was more sure then her small rushed peck. It was firmer, full of more conviction than her timorousness and made her head buzz.

"Via! Olivia! There you are! What happened? Are you-"

Via and Cassian broke apart quickly turning just in time to see Stephen Strange stop dead in his tracks and stare blankly at the two of them, the Ancient One standing a few feet behind him smirking as his jaw dropped.

"alright…"

* * *

 _Yeah…so that happened._

 _I kissed Cassian._

 _I don't know what came over me._

 _I guess all the stress and turmoil of all the past few days just felt like it was crushing me so hard, and then when I heard all the sweet things he said I just…. I guess the only thing I can say was that, it made me feel good and safe and I wanted to keep feeling that way for just a little bit._

 _Needless to say, we both got into a lot of trouble for our little "excursion" to New York._

 _Cassian got his student's sling ring confiscated by the Ancient One and Stephen gave me a full on furious hissy fit when we got back to the room._

 _Whilst there was a part of me that was angry at being told off like a four-year-old by an adult that had no biological or legal obligation to look after me, I had to admit, deep down I was really touched that Doc was worried about where I was enough to yell at me as he had done._

 _It may have been a tad overboard but in hindsight it was well worth it._

 _Or so I thought._

* * *

Cassian Esposito grinned happily to himself as he quickly strode down the corridors of the monastery, almost skipping with glee as he hummed a tune under his breath.

Or at least he hummed till something hissed into his ear in the darkness.

"You seem in good spirits"

Cassian stopped in his tracks eyes wide.

"You…what are you doing here? Your hands...the Veil of Enenra-"

"The Ancient One took it but that's not important" the voice hissed silkily as a pair of footsteps stepped up behind him and a pair of hands carefully fell on the boy's shoulders "Tell me boy. How are things going with the girl? I trust your little _date_ went well"

"It did …sir. Via I-I mean _She_. She trusts me now." Cassian gulped nervously, trying not to focus on the claw like hands that gripped at his shoulders.

"Via? What a cute little nickname." The voice murmured as the nails dug into the boy's jacket piercing him down to his skin.

"Do not worry my boy" the voice cooed _oh-so-gently_ as he felt the younger man tremble slightly "I understand. You are young and she is very pretty and I wouldn't blame you for wanting to have your fun with her. But never forget, she is the daughter of that woman. And that woman killed your mother"

"I know" Cassian sucked in a deep shuddering breath "But Via isn't like that-argh!"

He cried out as he felt the hands on his shoulders suddenly clench at the back of his neck.

He could feel their owner's hot breath on the back of his ear as it snarled softly.

"That's what I thought too…until that woman took it all from me. Never forget Cassian. Never forget the pain that woman caused you. If you do then everything you have done, will be all for _naught._ Everything I have trained you for all these years will just vanish. All of it. Your strength, Kaesilius's betrayal, we've come too far to fail in our plans. And I will not see you fail just because one stupid vapid little girl bats her big blue eyes at you. Do you understand?"

The grip on Cassian's neck was so painful, he could hardly get the words out of his mouth.

"Yes…yes of course."

"Good boy"

He gasped as the hand suddenly released him, his head whipping around to catch sight of his captor…only to find the dark corridor staring back at him empty and silent as the grave.

* * *

 **DUN-DUN-DUUUN!**  
 **finally chapter 11 is up and nearly 10 000 words long (phew). truth was i just got started on a roll and couldn't find the right moment to stop the chapter.**

 **so anyways since this is a big chapter, you can safely say a lot has happened. As some of you correctly guessed Cassian is involved in the sinister plot but just how sinister is his role in it? Hmm? you'll have to wait and see to find out.**

 **And speaking of waiting and seeing, don't worry Via's run in with Tony Stark and the other mystery character (most of you have probably guessed who it is but i won't ruin it now) does actually have a point that will be revealed LATER when the time is write. in the meanwhile i will be an annoying author and keep you all waiting for the answer while i eat (you guessed it) Shawarma! and yes i just had to put Shawarma in this story somewhere. After all you can't not have a Tony Stark scene without some form of snack being snuck in if you know what i mean.**

 **The made up relic Veil of Enenra is in actual fact based off a Japanese Yokai called the Enenra which is a spirit of smoke that appears at bonfires and sometimes can take the form of humans. some legends say it can only be seen by those who are pure of heart. i thought it would make sense that our annoying shadowy infiltrator would have a shadowy relic to match (LITERALLY).**

 **anyways hope you guys enjoyed and keep reviewing for more :)**

 **FuzzyBeta over and out!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: London Bound**

The globe room was quiet as the meeting of masters quickly departed through the doors that lead to their respective Sanctums.

Master's Daniel Drumm and Master Yasu Matsuyama were quick to leave for their doors, their backs stiff as they mulled over their now grim thoughts.

The Ancient One couldn't blame them. The days had gone dark indeed, darker in fact then some even she had experienced in her long lifet-

"My Lady?"

The Ancient One turned her head quickly, her tense face relaxing as she caught sight of a short stocky man with brown blonde hair and moustache over a worried round face.

"Percival? Is something the matter?"

"My Lady…I…" Master Peter Percival shut his mouth, exhaled heavily, swallowed and then said. "My Lady it's about that child Olivia Summers"

"Yes what of her?" the Ancient One's tone was casual, but there was a steely hardness to her eyes that made Percival shift uncomfortably on his feet as he said.

"Are you sure this is the best time to tell her…the truth about all this…the truth about… _her_ "

"You think we should wait till this is all over with Kaesilius" the Ancient One sighed her shoulders relaxing slightly.

"Well, Yes I do. I mean, if she really is who we all think she is, and if she really is as alike as our old friend as we think she is…well...can you imagine how she would react knowing that we have in essence lied to her through omission of the truth"

"Yes I can imagine it." The Ancient One admitted softly "but I believe she will understand"

"Yes in the future, but now…" Percival licked his lips nervously as he scratched his head "My Lady, forgive me for my bluntness but our hour is up. All the sand in the hourglass is gone. We're out of time. If all our sources are correct then Kaesilius will be attacking us at any time now, and from the looks of it we'll need all hands on deck to defeat him not anymore division from the inside-"

"I know. That's why she needs to know the truth" The Ancient One straightened up tall as she made to walk towards the archway that led back into the Kamar-Taj library. "She won't fight with us if we have any more secrets between us."

"Fight with us? My Lady forgive me again but she is still just a child-" Percival spluttered but already the Ancient one was already standing over the threshold.

"No. She is much more than just a child. You of all people should know that"

"My Lady!"

But too late. The Ancient One had all but disappeared down an aisle of books.

* * *

 _We've all had days we'd classify the "worst days of our lives"._

 _Stephen always smirks and says the worst day of his life was the day he met me._

 _I know he means it as a joke, but deep down we both know that within his smiling face is a small grain of truth. You see, the day he first met me wasn't the worst day of his life, but it did remind him of the worst day of his life that had happened a fair few years ago when he was a teenager._

 _Having not been born till a few years later, I had not yet experienced something that could be counted as "the worst day of my life", even though I had already lived through rather horrid days as a small child in that orphanage._

 _The one thing people never tell you about the worst days of your life, is that it often hits you when you least expect it. Sometimes it will come to you when you are most happy, sometimes it will hit you after a series of already exhausting and unfortunate events have transpired for you._

 _For me the worst day of my life took place half a month after my little first date with Cassian._

 _Things had been going great between the two of us. We'd done what we could to keep our new relationship quiet._

 _But then it was all ruined by Arty walking in on the two of us kissing on the top of the West Tower. By sunset that very day, nearly all of Kamar-Taj had heard the news literally being shouted at the top of his voice._

 _Obviously most people did not care much for the news. Two teens hooking up isn't exactly the most exciting thing to hear, even at a monastery for the mystic arts. But for my classmates who were closer to me in age…well let's just say that in addition to the way they avoided me, hearing their mutterings and rumor mongering behind my back (and sometimes in my face) only furthered my temptations to hit them all where the sun don't shine._

 _I mostly managed to keep myself in check, but that did not stop me from occasionally indulging in these temptations every martial arts training session._

 _I still remember one day, a boy a year older than me called Xander (a real creep), had been talking loudly in the dining hall that morning about how if Cassian could "tame" me perhaps he might have a shot at getting into my pants if we broke up._

 _Yeah…he didn't enjoy having my foot smash into his balls "by accident" when he tried to grope my behind during training…_

 _It was a good thing his buddies were strong enough to carry him away, because Master Mordo and the rest of the class could almost not stop laughing (No matter how hard Mordo tried to hide it…not that he was very successful mind you)_

 _But back onto the story of the worst day of my life._

 _It started out_ _ **literally**_ _as a nightmare._

* * *

His body was icy cold.

Perhaps it had something to do with the cold water he was swimming in. Or maybe it was the sight of something splashing and thrashing in the distance.

"Donn-pfft!" he spat out water as it accidentally splashed back into his mouth as he swam hurriedly to the writhing figure in the water.

But even as he swam up close, the splashes and slaps of flesh in and against liquid were swiftly and surely fading as the one responsible descended lifeless into the murky waters.

"Donna!"

* * *

"Donna!"

"I swear Billy it wasn't me!" Via cried out in alarm as she bolted straight out of bed, groaning loudly as she caught sight of the still very dark night sky outside her bedroom window.

"Argh, you've got to be kidding me?" she turned to glower at her roommate's bed only to pause as she caught sight of his form, sitting up with his shoulders hunched forwards, his face pale and frightened and gleaming with sweat.

"Stephen?"

Stephen Strange jumped and spun around, but quickly relaxed upon catching sight of her.

"S-Sorry" he muttered, heaving huge breaths as he looked down into his lap to avoid the worry in her blue eyes as she squinted at him in the dark.

"Stephen…are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine" Stephen breathed, but Via could see his entire body was shaking uncontrollably.

"Do you need me to get you something like water or an aspirin or-"

"No"

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No"

"Is it something to do with whoever that Donna person is-"

"I said I'm fine!" Stephen snarled ferociously but quickly backtracked as he saw her flinch back, her eyes slightly wide with fear.

With a great big sigh, he released his anger, letting the cool night air engulf him soothingly for a few seconds before speaking again, his voice this time patient and calm, if still a little shaky.

"I'm sorry…It was just a bad dream, nothing more. I'll feel better once I get back to sleep"

"Are you sure?" Via gulped, but Stephen could see her anxiety slowly simmering down bit by bit even as he nodded gently.

"Yes. I'm sure. Now go back to sleep. We've got an early start tomorrow"

"…okay. Fine you don't want to talk I get it. But if you need anything I'll listen so just…y'know…um… G'night." Via chewed on her cheek, and Stephen knew that whilst she was desperate to uncover the truth, she also knew not to push him any further.

A bit like someone he had once known…

"Good night Olivia" he whispered, shutting his eyes as he heard her soft piggy like snores fill the room, their sound strangely comforting even as he drifted back off to sleep.

"Good night…Donna…"

* * *

 _I never did find out what Stephen dreamt about that night, a great irony seeing as I am the keeper of a powerful Dream Relic._

 _Even nowadays I try not to pry too much into his dreamscape. After all we've been through together I owe him that much._

 _And we've been through a heck of a lot of weird and terrible stuff as you are about to see._

 _But before the weird and terrible stuff…this happened._

* * *

"You feeling any better?" Via asked as she shoveled a spoonful of porridge into her mouth roughly.

"Yes. I am" Stephen clipped, grimacing slightly at her coarseness as he lifted his own spoon to his mouth in a refined gentlemanly manner. "It was just a stupid little nightmare. Nothing to worry about."

Via snorted into her bowl.

"What?" Stephen frowned and she smirked coldly.

"Believe me Stephen, I have seen nightmares, literally seen them for real. And trust me they are anything but stupid and little"

"Then what are they like?" Stephen questioned curiously.

"Well the one I saw when I looked into your head that first night was a big black blob" she shrugged through a mouthful of food.

"A big black blob?" Stephen scowled "You mean to tell me a big black blob was tormenting me? ME?"

"Well _sorry_ Doctor High-and-mighty Strange, but that's what I saw. If you wanted a more _scary_ and _traumatic_ description of your innermost night terrors, you should've asked - oh I don't know – Bram Stoker to write one down for you" Via snapped glowering venomously.

"Hey, don't get all puffy with me I was just-wait hang on since when do you know about Bram Stoker?" Stephen quirked a brow and was surprised to see his roommate's face flush slightly pink.

"I…might have…used the Kindle app thingy on your tablet…a few times"

"You read my books?"

"Only the classics" Via gulped nervously. "would you believe that there are barely any normal fiction books in the Library. Seriously, I love studying the mystic arts but there comes a time when you just need to sit down and just enjoy an adventure…or a horror in this case…"

She sighed heavily as Stephen stared at her but to her wonder there was no anger, just surprise.

"What?" she blinked, slightly unnerved. "Can't a girl enjoy a good classic horror book? Or are we just limited to reading crap like that Twilight."

"Meeta's still gushing about that terrible nonsense I see" Stephen smiled shaking his head as his companion groaned in aggravation.

"Argh! She's such an intelligent person but I don't know how she enjoys reading that-that-ooh! How can you all those sparkly blood sucking fairy things vampires?! Dracula may be old hat nowadays but at least he's got substance, even if he is the villain"

"Yes, you might say he is out for Harker's blood" Stephen smirked, chuckling as Via rolled her eyes at him in exasperation.

"Jesus…That was just…no-no…ugh!"

"Come on you have to admit it is pretty funny" Stephen grinned, his laughter growing as she literally face-palmed and grumbled.

"Oh God! Now I know how Wong feels listening to you."

"VEE!" a feminine voice called out excitably and Via looked up to see Meeta rushing up to her from the doorway of the dining hall.

"Hey Em!" Via swallowed her large mouthful in one gulp much to Stephen's slight distaste.

One of these days he was going to teach this girl proper table manners.

Meeta however, did not seem to notice, or care whatsoever, as she all but dashed over to excitably sit beside Via, puffing as she all but plonked herself down beside her friend.

"So get this. Mama just sent me my care package and she's cooked up so many sweets that she could kill an army with sugar alone, and she's also sent me my mehndi kit plus my mini dvd player plus all my fave flicks. So, I'm thinking, skip dinner at six-thirty, come to my room and we'll have a movie marathon all night."

"You invited the boys or-"

"Nah! I thought it would be fun to have a girls' night with just the two of us. Besides" and at this Meeta rolled her eyes "Cassian's been hogging you all month and Arty's irritating the living daylights out of me and I need a break from him"

"Fair enough. You're on" Via grinned holding up her hand.

"Awesome!" Meeta smiled wide as she met the raised hand with her own high five, only to freeze as she noticed Stephen's quirked brow from across the table.

"Oh…Sorry…Hello Doctor Strange"

"Hello Meeta." He smirked but Via could hear the stiffness in his tones. A stiffness he always got when talking with teenagers and children (excluding herself of course).

And so it was with some amusement that she watched Meeta turn away nervously with a small cough to her.

"So six-thirty?"

"And not a minute later" Via nodded, chuckling softly to herself as she watched her friend happily bounce away on the balls of her feet.

Once she was out of earshot Via turned back to Stephen smirking slightly, much to his discomfort.

"What?" he snorted.

"You still suck with kids huh?"

"Don't you have a class to go to?"

"Crap you're right. I'll see you-oh right…I won't see you this evening" Via trailed off in a small mutter over her bowl.

"No you won't" Stephen agreed, in the same low tones before adding under his breath "Not if you're still planning to meet _your boyfriend_ for lunch"

"You still won't let that slide will you?" Via rolled her eyes and sighed as Stephen snorted into his bowl.

"It's your life, you do what you want with it. But I still think there's something off with that boy."

"According to you Stephen, there's something wrong with every boy I talk with" Via shook her head as she stood up from her seat. "I gotta go. Don't wanna be late for Ancient Runes"

"Good luck" Stephen grunted, but despite himself smiled slightly as she quickly scrambled out of her chair and slung her bag over her shoulder with a small grin.

"You too. See ya later"

"See you later" Stephen echoed trying to smile back, but failing terribly.

He wasn't sure why, but he felt uneasy.

He did not know how or why he was feeling that way. All the knew, was that it felt as if something was going to go wrong.

Little did Stephen Strange know, just how right he was.

* * *

 _And that was the last I saw of Stephen…before all the shit in the world (or multiverse) hit the fan._

 _Seriously, if I had known what was going to go down then, I probably would've stuck to that idiot's side like glue (Because seriously both of us were looking like we'd both been run over by heavy freight trains by the end of it)_

 _But then I probably wouldn't have the knowledge about myself that I do have now…_

 _The knowledge about where I came from…_

* * *

The room was small, with one single bed and a cluttered small desk with an equally tiny chair. But that hadn't stopped its resident Meeta Kaur from making it a cozy little hub. Silky smooth drapes of pinks, yellows and oranges hung from the ceiling and walls, making the room look more like the inside of a luxurious but small tent. The bed had been covered in dark but warm shades of reds that complemented the ornate dark blue and peacock green rug that covered the stony floor, which was lucky because the night outside was quite chilly.

It was on this rug that two girls sat, barley listening as the small portable DVD player droned on in the background, playing some movie that the girls had long since given up on trying to understand or care for.

"Always the spider webs Vee?" Meeta frowned as she carefully held her glowing palm over the web like design over her friend's upper left arm.

On it a long spider web thread design had been drawn along Via's lightly tanned toned skin trailing down from her upper arms all the way down to her elbow. There, a small spider had been drawn dangling from a small thread in reddish-brown paste that was flaking off to reveal its stained form on her skin

It was at this Meeta directed her gentle heat wave spell as Via smiled and shrugged.

"What can I say, I like spiders?"

"So, that's why you wear the dream-catcher?" Meeta quirked a brow towards the small trinket peeking out from Via's black training tunic.

"I suppose" Via shrugged, though this time it was a bit too casual to be considered normal. But Meeta did not notice. She was too busy mixing up a solution of sugar and lemon which she carefully applied over the newly marked pattern on her friend's arm, frowning as she asked.

"How do you do it?"

"Do what?" Via's brow furrowed.

"Deal with Strange?" Meeta narrowed her eyes "I mean, yeah you live with him, but seriously with everyone else he's like this aloof big cat who hisses if you get too close. But with you…he's as tame as a house-kitty"

"Even house-kitty's can hiss, scratch and bite if they want to," Via shrugged. "Trust me, we get along but we also scrap if we've both had tough days and trust me when I say it's not pretty"

"Yeah but at least he lets you fight back" Meeta's scowl darkened "Quite frankly I wouldn't put it past him to hex someone who got on the wrong side of him in the morning."

"Oh come on, Stephen's not that scary" Via rolled her eyes "I mean yeah he's a grumpy ass when he's tired but honestly who isn't?"

"Arthur" Meeta said bluntly and without hesitation "Seriously, I love the boy but he's a freak of nature in the mornings. No matter how little sleep he gets he can always get up bright and perky, like he's got sunshine shining out of his behind"

"But that doesn't stop you loving him huh?" Via smirked, her grin widening as Meeta's face turned scarlet.

"I-I-I don't know what you're talking about."

"HA! I knew it! You do love him!" Via laughed loudly as her friend shut her eyes and turned as purple as a beetroot in embarrassment.

"I am not going to dignify that with _any_ answer"

"And denial is the clincher" Via grinned.

"I hate you" Meeta glowered mutinously as she turned away to put away the Mehndi kit, trying and failing to ignore the loud laughs behind her:

"Double denial! Oh boy! You must really love that boy to the end of time"

"Argh! Whatever-just because you're in a relationship doesn't mean you have to try and hook me up with whoever-oh thank god!" Meeta gasped in relief as something hard knocked on her small room door.

She quickly scuttled up to get it, only to gasp as someone in blue and gold became visible in the doorway. A woman with a pale bald head and strange eyes.

"Sorry for interrupting you Miss Kaur. But I'm afraid I must steal your friend away this evening. There important matters that need sorting out"

The Ancient One's voice was polite but her face was hard as stone. So stern that any motion by either Via or Meeta to resist, died in their throats very quickly.

"Come Olivia" The Ancient One clipped as Via quietly stood up, nodding silently and reassuringly to Meeta, who only looked more worried as the door to her own room was shut in her face.

"Whoa! What the-hey!?" Via cried out as the Ancient one grabbed hold of her arm and began dragging her through a sling ring portal.

As always when using the mystic gateway, Via shut her eyes for fear of throwing up. Whilst it literally felt like taking any normal step, the sudden changes in scenery almost always disconcerted her to the point of throwing up.

That didn't change even as she opened her eyes and saw that she was no longer in the stone hallways of Kamar Taj at all.

Instead, she was in a hallway of a different kind.

A wooden floor, smooth and polished surrounded her, with pristine white plaster walls with white marble columns on top of which strange, grotesque chimera creatures had been carved, looking down and watching the ground below like sentinels watching from above.

The walls were lined with antique stands, plinths and cabinets, on which various artefacts were placed carefully on display in what appeared to be glass boxes.

One of these closest to her was a large old looking silver shield, which had, embedded in its centre a bony white female skull with snake skeletons protruding out of the scalp. Over the skulls eyes was a black eye-mask with a pair of cartoony female eyes winking.

"The Shield of Perseus." The Ancient One answered her charge's unasked question "Embedded with the head of the Great Gorgon Medusa."

"Well, that explains the stupid mask" Via muttered, only to shake her head with a growl as she tugged her arm out of the older woman's grip and rounded on her. "No-no-no! hold a second. What am I doing? No-wait what are _you_ doing? What the hell is going on? What do you want to talk about that's so urgent that you have to kidnap me to whatever…wherever…uh…where are we exactly?"

"London." The Ancient One said simply "Or more accurately The London Sanctum Sanctorium. The place that you should've been brought to all those years ago, instead of that orphanage."

"What are you talking about?" Via narrowed her eyes as the Ancient One turned her back and began walking quietly down the corridor.

"Follow me" she said.

And Via followed, though her footfalls were more like loud stomps of frustration. Childish she knew, but still, she did have every right to feel pissed off right now. Brynja and Asmund seemed to feel the same way too because they were glowing particularly bright on her arms, as each step took them deeper into the heart of the strange Sanctum.

"Where is everyone?" Via wondered aloud as she noticed the many doors in-between the strange display of mystical relics.

"At Lunch in the dining hall. It's only twelve thirty here." The Ancient one clipped as she turned a corner

"Oh right, I forgot different time zones" Via grumbled "So why are we here again?"

"Because of this." The Ancient One finally stopped in front of a polished oak door with a golden name plaque.

"Freyja Sorenson?" Via read slowly. "Freyja Sorenson…where have I heard that before…"

The corners of the Ancient One's mouth twitched upwards ever so slightly.

Perhaps if you opened it up and took a look, you'd remember"

Via gulped.

"Take a look? But this is someone's room I-I can't just-"

but already the Ancient One had moved her hand to rest on the ornate polished brass door handle, and pushed it down.

At once, something unclicked, and Via felt a surge of energy. A surge that quickly had the Ancient One's hand flying away…but kept hers firmly in place as she accidentally pressed her weight forward.

"Woah!" she cried out as she stumbled into a dark space, landing face first onto what felt like a thick dusty rug.

Coughing profusely, she scowled as she sat up.

"Not funny" She huffed as she caught sight of the Ancient One's smirk.

With a quiet but quick flick of her wrists, the lights in the room suddenly sparked to life.

Via blinked as her eyes suddenly became adjusted to the brightness only to inhale sharply with surprise.

The room, like the hallway outside was ornate and luxurious; a mahogany four poster bed with rich red velvet drapes was in a corner, opposite a desk, vanity, wardrobe and dresser of the same coloured timber. On the far wall a stone fireplace with a marble mantelpiece sprang to life, courtesy of the ancient one's magic. The merry flames were warm and cast a flickering light onto the floor under Via where an ornate black and gold Persian rug, lay beneath her feet covered in grey dust that flew up with every small movement she made to stand up.

"Good God! Someone call housekeeping up here" she choked mid cough. But even as she looked around she could see a thick cloud of dust and cobwebs stretching over the ceiling corners and walls.

"That we shall gladly do, now that you've finally opened the door" The Ancient One smiled as she stepped inside, taking care not to sniff too much of the dusty air about them.

"This room has been locked for nigh on fifteen years." The older woman said in regards to her younger companion's confused expression. "It's old owner cast a very powerful enchantment on that lock so that no one either than herself or one of her closest relations could enter."

"Closest relations. But I don't know-"

"Take a look on the mantelpiece" The Ancient One pointed to said mantelpiece her smirk growing ever so slightly.

Hesitantly, Via stepped towards the hearth, making sure to stand to the side so that no random embers flecked out at her from the crackling fire. Now upon closer inspection she could see what appeared to be picture frames standing up and covered in dust and grime.

She reached for the closest one, taking care to hold it gingerly as black grime coated her fingers. With the hem of her tunic she carefully rubbed at the dusty glass front of the frame squinting as with each layer of filth removed an image became clear.

An image, of a woman wearing robes in dark shades of plum, with long curly blonde hair, a warm smile, dimpled cheeks and light grey eyes…

Via felt the dusty air catch in her chest painfully as she looked at the woman's smiling face.

She knew that face.

She saw a near exact replica of it every time she looked in a mirror, except for the fact that she had no dimples, had a straighter nose and bigger bluer eyes that had begun burning with unshed tears. Though of what emotions these tears came from she had no idea.

All that chose to come from her at that moment was a small hoarse whisper.

"Mommy?"

Freyja Sorenson just smiled vacantly back at her from the picture frame.

A soft thumping sound suddenly sounded and Via turned to see the Ancient One had stepped over towards the pretty vanity on the opposite wall.

With a flick of her hand, the dust off the surfaces cleared away, leaving a gleaming surface and a black box with a blue ribbon.

"It's addressed to you" The Ancient One said and before Via could open her mouth the box was in her hands, and the photograph of Freyja Sorenson was back on the mantelpiece.

With shaking hands Via carefully pulled the ribbon loose and opened the black lid.

Something blue was folded inside with a golden trimming, with a golden belt and black sash folded neatly on top of it.

Without pausing to think she quickly set the box down and lifted the garments up to her. The blue thing appeared to be a fitted women's tail-coat jacket, but without any sleeves and gold clasps to hold the front together. The lining on the inside was jet black and embroidered with golden spider webs that glimmered like the belt she fitted around her waist over the top of the black sash.

As she fastened it, Via couldn't help but notice the golden belt buckle had an engraving of two dragons eating one another's tails.

"How does it feel?" The Ancient One asked as Via wriggled around uncomfortably, trying to reach for her back.

"Okay but I think I've got the collar stuck"

"Perhaps because it isn't a collar, the Ancient One muttered, her hand quickly swiping around the girl's back.

Via winced slightly as a dark hood suddenly flipped out to cover the top of her head.

"Oh right" Via quickly shoved it back, catching sight of herself in the mirror.

She looked nothing like the guttersnipe found on the streets all those months ago. Nor even did she just look like a sweaty scruffy acolyte in training.

Her gold curls, once scruffy and short, was now falling in a braid over her shoulder and gleaming like sunlight. Her skin, healthily, glowing and marked by a creative henna design over her left arm. Her body, still lean and athletic but at the same time more mature and womanly, the last vestiges of innocent puppy fat beginning to melt away. She wasn't curvy by any means, if anything she was more rectangular and muscled. But all this somehow seemed to fit just as much as the clothes she wore.

Via tensed as she saw the older woman's reflection come to stand behind her

"It suits you" the Ancient One smiled softly

"Gee I wonder why?" Via muttered through gritted teeth, her heart hardening considerably as she turned to face her mentor. "How long have you known?"

The Ancient One's smile dropped like a stone.

"Only since you opened this door-" she began but Via could feel the fire burn hotly in her gut as she snarled.

"Bull-shit! How long have you known?"

"Like I said before, I only knew who you truly were since you opened this door" the Ancient One repeated herself, her own tone stone cold "Of course I had my suspicions since the first day I set my eye upon you…but I had to be sure you were ready-"

"Ready for what?" Via snapped but the Ancient One raised her voice over her.

"-Ready to become a part of this world. Yes, your heritage may make you more attuned to the mystic arts than most people, but that doesn't mean it still couldn't damage you when you didn't have any exposure to it and its ways. I had to make sure you were strong enough to defend yourself against such things"

"And what if I didn't chose to become a sorcerer then what? You'd just let me go and never tell me-"

"Trust me Olivia, it was for your own safety-" the Ancient one sighed but Via just laughed hollowly.

"Trust? What do you know about _Trust_? You draw power from the Dark Dimension to keep yourself immortal, you lie to your followers by keeping secrets from them. You keep an orphan in the dark about her own mother for nearly seven months, despite the fact she could summon up a strong Tao Shield on her very first day. Heck you won't even trust anyone with your own name. Just how do you expect _me_ to trust _you_ if I have no clue as to who or what you really are?"

"I don't. But I do expect you of all people to understand that to do the right thing sometimes you must do what others consider wrong." The Ancient One narrowed her eyes, but Via didn't back down.

"No! To do the right thing, you have to _do_ the _right thing_ , even if it hurts _you_. All you've done is take the easy way out and hide so you don't have to face the pain of everyone being disappointed in you"

"I would mind your tongue if I were you child-" the Ancient One's voice was now like ice as she towered over the young girl.

"No I will not mind it" Via hissed standing her ground and glaring up to her elder as she stood toe to toe with her. "I'm just saying it like it is and you don't like it-"

"Enough."

"Y'know, for someone who has lived as long as you have, you are surprisingly reluctant to face the music-"

"Enough!"

"And you know what else, Kaesilius was right. Not only have you failed as Sorcerer Supreme, you're failing yourself-"

"I said enough!"

"And why? Because you're so afraid of dying alone that you will lie to everyone to keep them happy, even though those lies might actually be the death of them one day-"

"ENOUGH!" Ancient One bellowed, a sound that echoed loudly throughout the entire dust covered room like a firework, until finally the last reverberations disappeared and left nothing but a deafening silence.

Niether Via nor the Ancient One moved from where they stood.

It was difficult to tell which face, young or old, was looking more furious at that point in time.

Indeed, Via was quite prepared to bet that had the Ancient One's temper been shorter, she would have been tossed straight into the Dark Dimension in millions of tiny pieces.

Which was very ironic considering what happened next.

 _KABOOM!_

The whole floor and ceiling shook around the two of them.

Via only just managed not to fall over, thanks to the glowing Eye of Asibikaashi that hung on the outside of her new jacket.

"What was that?" She gasped.

"I don't know but it came from above" The Ancient One muttered, all anger forgotten as she looked to the ceiling.

"Is someone practicing a spell or something?" Via frowned, but even as the Ancient One pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes back to the ceiling, she knew it was no use.

No…she had felt the magical power in that strike and it was too powerful not to be anything else but-

"The Sanctum is under attack" The Ancient One breathed sharply and with a swish of her golden robes she was out the door.

Via dashed after her, doing her best to stay hot on her heels, but the Ancient One was moving at a speed that was, to put it simply, inhuman.

It took all of Via's skill with the Web of Asibikaashi to merely keep up with her using the walls and ceilings, or rather just the walls, as a couple of the chandeliers and lights were starting to drop hard to the floor below.

In the distance, Via could hear people shouting and running and even hear the growls and thuds of fighting. Whoever was attacking, sounded like they were causing an absolute massacre.

Amidst all the noise that was growing louder, Via could hear a familiar voice barking out orders of attack and her heart sank.

 _Oh no…please no…_

It was a grueling five minutes later when both she and the Ancient One reached the source of the commotion, did Via finally see the source of her dread.

Kaesilius was standing at the end of a long corridor in front of a door with a strange circular symbol, surrounded by red garbed sorcerers…and their equally red and bloodied victims lying dead around him on the floor, pieces of something glass like sticking out of them like strange transparent spikes.

He smirked as he caught sight of his new challengers, and that was when Via noticed his eyes, two dark pits surrounded by burning dark energy branded into his skin.

"Ah…Ancient One. Miss Summers welcome. Or would you prefer to be called Miss Sorenson?" he smiled, almost as if he were welcoming guests to his house rather than invading and destroying a mystical stronghold. But Via barely noticed. Not when she herself was so pissed off.

"Oh great, even _he_ knows?!" Via groaned rolling her eyes to the Ancient One who was quick to school her expression into one of cold aloofness as she addressed her ex-pupil.

"I would cease this madness at once if I were you Kaesilius. It will only end in disaster."

"Oh I am counting on it Ancient One" Kaesilius stepped forwards, his hands flying out in front of him to summon up a barrier of green to shield his Zealots as they prepared a spell behind his back.

"Child" He sneered as caught sight of Via looking up at the ceiling with her legs ready to spring. "Have you thought about my advice? Clearly this woman is not the trustworthy guardian you thought you knew."

"And clearly you still sound like a crazy man" Via countered, fists clenching as she felt the buildup of energy humming from behind the yellow robed man, who chuckled amusedly at her.

"You still have your scathing wit, just as he said you would"

"He?" The Ancient One narrowed her eyes "You have managed to recruit others to your cause."

"You seem surprised" Kaesilius snorted. "Yes. There are others I have managed to persuade to assist me in my endeavors. Indeed one of them was only too eager to lend a hand, especially when I told him that the last heir of the Sorenson line still lives and is training in the mystic arts."

"And this man is?" the Ancient One's eyes were now slits.

"Me" a distinctly male voice rumbled from behind.

Via and the Ancient One wheeled around, the latter quickly forcing the younger behind her in a defensive stance as a new figure emerged from a cloud of smoke.

Had Via not been torn between so many emotions like fear, anger and confusion, she might have laughed at the sheer audacity of the man's very planned appearance.

Via had heard of zombies before, and this man, though definitely alive and breathing, looked just like one.

He was tall, thin (almost a skeleton) with sickly pale skin that looked like it hadn't seen sunlight in forever, jet-black hair and sharp brown eyes. Or rather one brown eye on the right, with the other eye white, milky the covered by a very horrible burn that stretched right over the full left half of his face, right down to his chin and down his neck.

He was wearing jet black robes with grey under robes, and a silver buckled belt fastened by a buckle shaped like a canine skull. One both hands he wore a matching set of silver rings with very sharp claw like blades extending over the top of his skeletal rotten looking hands.

Even though he looked familiar to her, Via couldn't for the life of her remember where she had seen his face before.

The Ancient One on the other hand, recognized him at once, though it only made her look, if possible stonier still, though her voice just only betrayed the slightest bit of surprise.

"Fabian Russo"

The man, Fabian Russo, smiled wide, revealing a pair of sharp canines amid his yellowing teeth.

"Ancient One. It's been too long. And Olivia, look at you. A beautiful golden flower you've become. Your mother, dear Freyja, would be _so_ proud."

Via shivered at the poisonously sarcastic hiss that slithered out of that half-burned mouth.

"You should be dead" the Ancient One's hand twitched by her side in readiness for attack.

"As should you my Lady" Fabian tilted his head in a bird like way. "But death hasn't taken us yet …not like poor Freyja. When did I see her last? Oh, yes that's right. The last time I saw her, my knife was in her gut and she was hobbling like a coward through a sling ring portal. Isn't that right…my son"

Via felt her heart all but freeze to ice as someone stepped out of Fabian's shadow.

A handsome young man with dark brown hair and warm brown eyes that stared at her half ashamed half in fear.

"Yes father….you're right" Cassian Esposito, or rather, Cassian Russo muttered softly.

"Cass…you're…you're with them…this whole time?" Via's voice trembled, as fresh tears began trickling down her cheeks.

"Yes, he was. And I have to say he performed his role perfectly, didn't you my boy," Fabian smiled as he looked back to ruffle his son's head fondly "takes on after his mother you know. She was quite an amazing actress. Tipped to be Hollywood's next great star…but all that was put to a stop when she was murdered…by your mother and this _witch_!"

"Fabian, your wife's death was an unfortunate accident-" the Ancient One began but Fabian cut across her in a growl, raising a metal clawed hand.

"Then tell me why I had to bury her when my son was only a few hours old, _alone_?"

"Father stop-she's trying to distract us" Cassian quickly held his father's arm back, all the while keeping his eyes on Via who was still crying. He looked like he desperately wanted to reassure her, to talk to her, but his shame held him back, along with the voice of Kaesilius.

"Your son is right Russo. While you've been reminiscing about the past, the Ancient One has raised the alarms back at Kamar Taj. We need to finish this place and move on at once if we are to succeed."

"Of course" Fabian took a deep breath and took a step back. "Come Cassian"

But Cassian did not move. He just stood there staring at Via, his mouth opening and shutting as he tried to find something to say.

"Cass" Via stepped out from behind the Ancient One.

"CASSIAN!" his father barked from halfway up the corridor, his teeth bared in a snarl. "Leave her be. We shall come for her later and then we can have our revenge"

"Cass, don't. You don't have to go with him" Via reached out to take his hand, but then she was forced to jump back and land on the wall as a whip of energy slapped hard at we're she had been standing.

"CASS!" Via called, but too late.

The door behind had swung open revealing the three shocked faces of Stephen Strange, Karl Mordo and Wong staring through the door.

"Oh no" Via breathed her eyes travelling upwards to where, just before the door a great globe of golden energy was raised.

"LOOK OUT!" she cried flinging herself forwards just as Mordo yelled:

"NO!"

There was a loud BANG! And everything exploded around her.

* * *

 _And there you have it. The beginning of the worst day of my life._

 _Stephen suffers from nightmares and I can't help him. I get kidnapped from my first ever sleepover with my only female friend by the Ancient One who just happens to think that now after six months of lying to my face is the right time to tell me about my birth mother (who just so happens to leave me clothes that are exactly my size?)._

 _And then just when I'm about to get the truth from her, Kaesilius shows up again along with a man that's supposed to be dead, who just so happens to be the father of my supposedly trustworthy boyfriend who has just revealed he's been playing me that whole time. Then on top of that the three of them attack the Sanctum Sanctorium of London and destroy it!_

 ** _*Sigh*_**

 _If you think that's bad, just wait till you see what comes next…yeah it's a real doozy._

* * *

 ** _And so there you have it, we're back in movie mode._**

 ** _In the movie I've always wondered what happened at the London Sanctum so i figured it'd be good to explore some of the carnage that happened there for a bit. So Via's discovered the truth about her mother, Cassian and about the evil shadow that's out for her blood, Fabian Russo._**

 ** _Which leads us to the battle New York Sanctum. Hold onto your hats, or keyboards, or whatever you've got at hand because it's going to be a bumpy ride. Or should i say, a Strange Ride? (yeah dumb i know but i just couldn't resist XD)_**

 ** _If you've got ideas for what you want to see, or just want to see more, keep reviewing._**

 ** _Until next time_**

 ** _Adios Amigos,_**

 ** _-FuzzyBeta_**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: The Last Grain of Sand in the Hourglass**

"NO!"

There was a loud BANG! And everything exploded around her.

* * *

 _And there you have it. The beginning of the worst day of my life._

 _For some reason, all the big events in my life have often started with a bang._

 _Conception, BANG!_

 _Birth, BANG!_

 _Abandonment on the front steps of an Orphanage, BANG!_

 _Escape from said Orphanage during Avengers Battle of New York,_ _ **Double**_ _BANG!_

 _First day at Kamar Taj, Mystical BANG!_

 _And that horrible day…_

 _Bang-Bangity-Bang-bang-bang!_

 _Yeah…my whole life is pretty explosive._

 _Unlike Stephen's…Speaking of good ol' Doc, I always did wonder how he ever ended up with me that day…_

* * *

Stephen sighed as he stepped out of his and Via's small bathroom, scrubbing a towel through his hair as he tried to not let water trickle down onto his dry comfortable T-shirt.

It felt a lot better now that it had been cut, though he still didn't feel that he was up to completely shaving the last of his beard off. True his hands worked better for him (even though they still shook a fair bit in most everyday activities) but also he would be lying to himself if he said his new look was not growing on him.

He allowed himself a small quiet chuckle at his own pun, almost imagining Via's exasperated roll of the eyes, like she had done that morning.

He looked around the room, his eyes wandering to the empty clean and well-made bed tucked against the other wall.

It was only eight o clock. And it wasn't as if she hadn't come back to the rooms late before. But still, now that he thought about it, this was going to be the first time she wasn't going to spend the night.

Had something like this happened nearly six months ago when they first started sharing living quarters, Stephen might have savored the isolation and privacy with relish. But now…

 _No, I don't miss her presence._

He told himself firmly as he rung out the last of the water from his ears.

 _I'm just so used to having her around that it just feels a little odd. Besides, she's still in the same building and not with that boy…_

And by that boy, he meant Cassian Esposito.

Stephen knew it was probably extremely hypocritical of him to judge the young man, especially since he himself had been rather a player in his college days. Insatiable, one woman had once called him. He almost would have smirked then and there at the recall of that rather steamy night, but was stopped short as another the memory of two days ago.

He was looking for Via during break, to take her to Mordo's advanced combat classes, when he stumbled upon her and that Cassian boy in quite a passionate embrace tucked away in a small corner.

He bristled as he remembered the hot anger that had bubbled in the pit of his stomach at the sight. He couldn't help himself. There was something about the boy that just didn't sit right with him, and whatever it was, Stephen was sure that it would only bring nothing but hurt to those around him.

And unfortunately, Via was first in the line of fire.

With a soft growl to himself he flung his towel over his shoulder and slumped down in front of his desk.

He knew he shouldn't be this worried. After all the girl was not of his flesh and blood, and they weren't bonded as family through a legal document. As far as both were concerned they were just roommates who just so happened to have a huge age difference between them.

But still, despite all her spunk and down to earth (but also sometimes quite brutal) honesty, she was still quite innocent and naïve about certain facts of life. And Stephen, for all his declarations of not liking kids, couldn't help but feel responsible for her, especially when she was most likely to burst out crying in their shared room when something did go down with that boy.

Speaking of upset women…

Stephen chewed his cheek slightly as he carefully flipped his tablet computer up into a typing position on the keyboard.

 _This email…What the hell do I say?_

He stared hard at the contact name in the address bar, and then to the lame subject line beneath and then to the even lamer message beneath.

"Christine, I'm emailing you one more time to…"

he stopped, his hands pausing over the screen.

No…this didn't feel right. Any moron could type anything on a keyboard and it wouldn't make a shred of difference. And if there was one thing Stephen Strange was not, it was a moron.

He leant back in his chair, his eyes automatically darting back to Via's bed again.

 _What would she have said in this situation?_ He couldn't help but wonder.

The first thing that came to mind, was a vision of Via giving him her deadpan stare of "really, you're stuck on this?", followed by a snarky colorful quip about him having supposed to have more experience in something like this, before finally sighing in resignation and telling him to just be honest with himself and say what was on his mind.

Well if he was being honest with himself, he'd have to admit out loud right now, that Via's lack of presence…felt odd.

True there had been days where they barely talked to one another, or didn't see much of one another. But those were mainly caused by tiredness, business or even just the need and want of some private space to themselves. But even so, in the evenings there had been something strangely comforting about knowing that just a few feet away there was someone who was there, even if they didn't always agree with you were thinking or saying.

He smirked slightly as he stood to his feet and wandered to her desk, picking up one of the large books she had borrowed from the Kamar-Taj library.

It was one he had read a few months back, about trans-dimensional traveling. He remembered flipping through it particularly quickly, his eidetic memory always a help in his studies.

 _Only halfway through…_

He chuckled as he turned to the place she had slipped a bookmark in, only to discover a folded piece of lined paper tucked neatly in-between the old yellowing pages.

Brow furrowed curiously, he opened the paper only to frown even more as he caught sight of a copy of one of the diagrams of the multiverse and it's interconnecting patterns with three arrows pointing to it, each connected to three questions.

"Dream Dimension?"

"Dark Dimension?"

"Time?"

Next to these three lines, she had drawn a bracket linking them together with a small scrawl fit into the corner of the page.

Stephen squinted.

"How do they fit? ANSR, BK Cagliostro? Find TAO collection in Lib." He read aloud scratching his beard as he read it again, this time making sure to break it down word for word.

"Answer…Bk…bk…must be book." He mumbled as he continued to read.

 _So if BK means book then, she must mean the answer might be in Book of Cagliostro…which is in the Ancient One's collection in the lib –no library…Wait Cagliostro…isn't that the book Wong showed me first time I was in there?_

Stephen's smirk widened.

 _I wonder if library hours are up yet?_

* * *

 _*sigh* typical Stephen, running to the library in the middle of the night. Of course nowadays he doesn't need a hall pass or curfew._

 _The lucky jerk! but i digress..._

* * *

The Run to the Kamar Taj Library, was short but thrilling all the same.

Stephen had to admit, he felt a little bit like a kid again, sneaking into the library in the dead of night to snag a book.

Only, it wasn't the dead of night. In fact, curfew hadn't even started to take effect. But still, it felt good to do something impulsive amidst his usual routine.

The rain outside was pouring like cats and dogs, creating a steady but oddly calming drumroll which rolled against the windows as he strode through the seemingly empty rows of books, till he reached the collection bound in secure chains.

He instantly found the one he was looking for. He remembered its cover straight away.

He marveled at how easy it was to just take out of its shelf.

But then again, if it was the Ancient One's collection then it stood to reason that most students and masters would barely be able to reach that level of mystical prowess necessary to achieve whatever spells she coveted.

But Stephen did not take notice of such things. Instead he focused on getting the book to the table at the far back, snagging an apple from the small bowl that sat on the corner of it.

As he chomped on the juicy fruit, he quickly smoothed out the piece of Via's notes and placed the book above it trying to figure out what she was looking for.

Ever since that night she had walked in on his dreams, Stephen knew Via was always interested in learning about the Dream dimension. It was understandable of course, given she carried a mystical relic that let her access it at any given moment in time. But it was the scrawl of Time and the Dark Dimension, that had Stephen enthralled.

He'd only ever heard of the dark dimension spoken to him recently in his more advanced sorcery classes. Most of the acolytes, especially the youngsters, barely heard much of the other multiple universes out there, their teachers preferring them to focus on their own dimension in the here and now.

However, the dark dimension was a testy subject matter.

So why would Via be wanting to know about it?

He paused as he landed onto a page, where in the middle of the ancient text the book was written in, a drawing in red had been made of an eye, the very same eye that seemed to be staring at him through the open doorway of a room in front of his desk.

 _Couldn't hurt to give it a try…after all no one is watching it._

But even so…

"Wong!" he called out loudly.

There was no answer.

Smirking to himself he quickly stood up and strode over to the eye, which appeared to be standing on an old stone plinth in the middle of a large circular room.

With surprisingly little resistance from the artefact he managed to swiftly snag it from its position and slip the cord that hung from the top of the eye over his neck.

The relic seemed to hum as it fell to rest over his breast, gently sitting against the blue robes he had slung back on in his haste to get out of his rooms.

It's new user didn't even seem to notice the faint green glow from within its depths as he smoothed out a page of the mystical text in front of him, nor did he notice the small tendril of green energy slip from a crack and dart out under his arm and into the darkness of the library.

Where it went, no one saw, and no one ever found out…at least, not until a lot later.

However, at that moment, All Stephen Strange was aware of was that one moment he was just going through the motions of the new spell, the next there were green rings of magic flowing up his arm. With a deep breath he opened his eyes and watched his own hands closely as they performed the rest of the spell.

The effect was instantaneous. As soon as his hand had started shifting the half-eaten apple in front of him was began to rot further until it was nothing more than a shriveled blackened core. He twisted his hand the other way and swiftly the rot disappeared along with the slight smell it had produced, instead being replaced by a freshly picked beautiful rich red orb before his very eyes.

A grin spreading over Stephen's face. This was beyond anything he'd done so far in his studies. He wondered if he could push it a bit further.

Quickly putting the now whole apple aside he slid the Book of Cagliostro back in front of him, turning the pages over till he spotted what looked to be the remnants of where a page had once been but had been ripped out.

 _Worth a try…_

He sucked in a deep breath, concentrating hard on the ripped paper in front of him, willing its pages to be revealed as he twisted his right arm anti-clockwise, and raised his left slightly higher.

"Come on" he hissed as he saw the faint outline of something rectangular begin to materialize above the book. His smirk grew wider as the texture of old paper became more and more solid, only for two pages to suddenly flop back down to earth, fresh and clean…and…

His face fell as he caught sight of the symbol in red branding the centre of the two pages.

"Dormammu" he breathed as he examined the spell on the left page. "The Dark Dimension…eternal life…"

He was so distracted by the contents of the page before him that he was barely paying attention to his hands, which on autopilot were continuing the spell laid out before them…much to their owner's cost.

Stephen felt his heart still as he saw the first shard of the mirror dimension's barrier suddenly rise before him, followed quickly by another and then another.

So many were beginning to form around him in that small space that cracks had begun to appear and-

"STOP!"

Stephen jumped back and the mirrors before him all vanished into thin air, to reveal behind them a very worried and very angry Karl Mordo and Wong the former of whom stormed up to him, eyes flashing dangerously.

"Tampering with continuum probabilities is forbidden" he snarled and Stephen put his hands up in surrender.

"I-I was just doing exactly what it said in the book-"

"And what did the book say? About the dangers of performing that ritual" Wong hissed seethingly.

"I-I don't know I hadn't gotten to that part yet" Stephen admitted quickly shutting the troublesome tome.

"Temporal manipulations, can create branches in time." Mordo pointed to the offending book, his hand shaking though from fear or anger Stephen could not tell anymore. "Unstable dimensional openings, spatial paradoxes! Time Loops! Do you want to get stuck repeating the same moment over and over forever, or never having existed at all?!"

"You really should've put the warnings before the spells" Stephen muttered dryly much to Wong's annoyance as he snatched up the book and began pacing back to its shelf.

"Your curiosity could've gotten you killed. You weren't manipulating space time continuum; you were breaking it. You do not tamper with natural law we defend it."

"What's this?" Mordo, muttered his curiosity getting the better of him as he picked up the sheet of notepaper by Stephen's hand.

"Oh, that's Olivia's. but I don't know what that was-" Stephen mumbled but Wong cut across him.

"It's part of the theory of Dream walking. I saw her reading about it here the other day. If one uses the magical field around the earth caused by the leaks of magic from the Dark Dimension, one can slip through the different fields of magic and into the dream dimension. It is advanced sorcery, only very few have mastered or even achieved at all."

"She must be trying to further understand her relic. But it doesn't matter. She may be able to dream walk with the Web of Asibikaashi, but she's still years away from achieving this level of sorcery on her own without it. At present only the Sorcerer Supreme has been capable of achieving such a feat" Mordo shook his head his eyes falling on Stephen's still confused face. "But you…how did you even understand what she…how did you do all _that_?" he gestured wildly to the Book of Cagliostro.

"Hmm? Pardon?" Stephen blinked.

"How did you learn the litany of spells needed to understand what was in the book?"

"I've got a photographic memory." Stephen shrugged nonchalantly "it's how I got my MD and PHD at the same time"

But Mordo shook his head.

"No what you just did, takes more than just a good memory. You were _born_ for the mystic arts."

"And yet my hand's still shake" Stephen muttered bitterly.

"For now, yes" Wong said gently, but Stephen just snorted.

"But not forever?"

"We're not prophets" Mordo began.

"Then when are you going to start telling me what we are?" Stephen glared up at the mystic master, who quickly glanced sidelong at Wong, who sighed.

"He was bound to find out sooner or later." He raised is brow to Mordo "Especially since _she_ has now discovered the truth."

"Wait what do you mean _she?_ Are you talking about-"

"Olivia, yes" Mordo muttered, and Stephen saw worry a look of immense worry flash over the master's eyes as he looked back up to him and beckoned. "This way, we will explain"

Stephen followed, half angry, half curious as both Wong and Mordo led him into the circular room where he had gotten the eye. It was still hanging around his neck, quite happily at peace, no remnants of mystic energy leaking or humming for anyone to hear or see, not even as the three men approached its old stand.

"Whilst heroes like the Avenger's protect the world from physical dangers, we sorcerers safeguard it against more…mystical threats" Wong explained as he manipulated the stone plinth. At once the globe above became illuminated in bright lights, like a satellite image of the world at night.

Stephen watched amazed, but still did his best to keep listening as Wong continued his impromptu lesson.

"The Ancient one is the latest in a long line of Sorcerer Supreme, going back thousands of years to the father of the mystic arts, the mighty Agamoto. The same sorcerer who created the eye you so recklessly borrowed" he quirked a brow to Stephen who had the decency to look a little ashamed as he avoided his eye.

"Agamoto, built three Sanctum's in places of power, where great cities now stand. That door leads to the Hong Kong Sanctum-" Wong pointed to a door to his left which Stephen stood in front of.

"That door to the New York Sanctum-" he pointed to a door in the middle right behind Mordo and then finally to the last door just behind himself.

"And that one to the London Sanctum. Together all three create a protective shield around our world"

"The Sanctum's protect the world, and it is us sorcerers, who protect the sanctum's" Mordo finished his tone ending so darkly that Stephen could not help but pale a little as he gulped:

"From what?"

"Other dimensional beings that threaten our world, and would destroy us." Wong explained calmly.

"Like Dormammu?" Stephen nodded in understanding.

Mordo however, looked very troubled.

"Where did you learn that name?" he narrowed is eyes at the doctor who gulped slightly as all eyes turned to him once more.

"I…just read it in the Book of Cagliostro…why?"

Again Mordo exchanged a significant look with Wong, who quickly manipulated the globe's control's from the ground.

At once the great mystical structure above their heads began to turn and shift, an ominous dark gaping hole appearing on its surface to replace the light.

"Dormammu dwells in the Dark Dimension…beyond time…He is the cosmic conqueror. The destroyer of worlds. A being of infinite power…of endless power…he threatens to invade every universe and bring all worlds into his dark dimension. And he hungers for Earth, most of all."

"The pages that Kaesilius stole…" Stephen murmured.

"A ritual to contact Dormammu and draw power from the Dark Dimension"

Stephen laughed.

He just couldn't help himself.

The laughter just escaped him before he could stop himself. Everything he was hearing…it made sense…but at the same time it was so ridiculous.

"Uh…ha-ha, okay. I-I'm out" he smirked backing away as his heart hammered hard in his chest "I came here to heal my hands not to fight in some mystical war."

"So you're just going to leave?" Wong raised his eyebrows. "Because you won't fight…in a war you don't think is yours."

"Yes" Stephen growled stubbornly folding his arms to hide his hands. "Once my hands are fixed. I'm out."

"And what of Olivia?" Mordo glared at him. "What will you do about her?"

Stephen opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Rather all that came out was a strangled small grunt of sound that was quickly drowned by the ringing of loud bells.

Everyone looked up quickly to the ceiling and saw that the symbol above the door to the London which opened with a loud clang.

"Kaesilius!" Mordo yelled as through the door they saw a man garbed in brown and gold, his grey hair tied back to reveal his burnt eyes which rolled back into his head as he raised his arms to suspend the large spell above it.

Behind him, was a sight that made Stephen's heart freeze.

A girl in a blue hooded coat with a curly blonde braid and bright blue eyes that were staring at him, Wong and Mordo, wide with fear.

"LOOK OUT!" Olivia Summers cried flinging herself forwards just as Mordo yelled:

"NO!"

There was a loud BANG! And everything exploded.

* * *

 _Like I said, Bang-bang-bangity-bang!_

 _But seriously though. In one night, everything I had grown to care about…everything I thought I knew…it all was nearly all obliterated in that one blast._

 _I think the only reason I myself wasn't destroyed was…well…I'll leave you to watch and see._

* * *

Via grunted as suddenly something hit her straight in the stomach, sending her hurtling straight at the door, into someone and straight through something hard and wooden.

She fell hard into hard polished floor, ears ringing, body aching, head throbbing as she was rolled like a sushi roll straight into something hard.

"MORDO!" Someone cried, but Via could barely hear anything save the first syllable.

"Ah-ah!" she cringed in pain, just only covering her head with her arms, as large pieces of stone hit her body from above. One rather sharp piece slashed hard and deep into the back of one of her hands, and amidst the piercing pain she could feel something warm and fluid oozing onto her skin.

"-ivia!" the voice was now slightly clearer, but still very difficult to hear through her ringing ears.

She felt a pair of hands reach for her, warm but rough, the skin on them both scarred. Above her she felt rather than heard the grunt of effort as she was all but dragged out of wherever she had fallen.

"S-Stephen?" she spluttered, her own voice scratched and raw as she tried to scramble over onto her back and sit up.

She hissed in pain as she put weight onto her injured hand but was spared dropping back to the floor as Stephen Strange pulled her up to sit, leaning against the wall.

"Easy…easy" he whispered quickly holding her by the head and tilting it around to inspect it. "Looks to be alright but…"

"What?" she frowned as the rest of his sentence was muffled to her ears. "Sorry Doc…can't hear…mnnh!" she growled as she felt her stomach throb. It could have been just the impact of the blast, but she was sure someone had cast a spell at her to push her away, and it had hit her right in her gut like a punch from a steel fist.

Stephen seemed to notice this, and put a hand on her shoulder to steady her.

"I said, you should take a couple of deep breaths before you do anything else." He said, clearer and louder than before, making sure to articulate every single syllable so she could see.

Via nodded, and was grateful when he waited patiently for her to inhale two very slow deep breaths.

"Better?" he asked as she finished exhaling the third breath and she was relieved to find his voice was now almost back at normal volume.

"Yeah…better" she sighed in relief.

"Do you think you could stand?" Stephen asked, and though his voice was calm in his usual doctor's bedside tones, she could see the immense worry in his eyes.

She nodded and gingerly she slid her legs back towards herself and began pushing herself back upwards, using the wall as her support, whilst Stephen held onto her hands just in case.

"Wait" he muttered before she could take a step away from the wall, and pulled out of his blue pocket what appeared to be a large crisp plain blue square of cotton.

"Never took you to be a handkerchief man" Via snorted her voice slightly shaky.

"Just got it today. Thought it might come in handy. Glad to see I was right" Stephen muttered darkly as he made to carefully wrap the cloth over her bleeding hand.

"Thanks. Where are we?" Via muttered as he finished tying the cloth, her eyes darting around them for the first time.

They seemed to be in a round shaped room, filled with many paintings chairs and tables. The patterned floor was a mixture of wood and black marble gleaming and polished that lay before the feet of a grand staircase that split up into two, it's path leading up to a tall ceiling shrouded in shadow.

Apart from the debris of stone and dust littering the floor, there was no evidence to suggest they were blasted into the place from where an explosion had just taken place. No instead, all that remained of their doorway, was a plain grey slab of stone.

Via felt the warmth close to her leave her side and looked up just in time to see her friend stumbling away from her.

"Stephen wait-" she called as she watched him succumb a bit to his own disorientation as he almost fell towards a tall pair of doors, set in a small atrium to their left.

With his weight the two doors fell easily open.

Via stared astonished as she dashed out after Stephen into what felt to be cold sunlight. Her bare arms stung a little from a chilly breeze as she and the doctor both looked about themselves.

They were in a street. A normal, if quite upmarket New York street. Lined with tall and expensive looking apartments. The building they had just left, appeared to fit in with the rest, though it was a bit darker in colour and older in design. Everything was clean and neat, the people just as clean, most of them wearing highly fashionable outfits.

They stared a bit as they passed Via and Stephen. One of them, a dark girl with curly hair, even gaping openly at Stephen's face, on which a cut was bleeding quite badly. But the cut was one thing. If there was one thing Via knew about New York, it was to never draw attention to yourself if you were in trouble. And boy were they in such trouble.

"We need to get back inside" Via hissed, grabbing Stephen's sleeve and tugging him back into the building, but not before noticing the large bronze plaque close to the door.

177A Bleecker St

 _Must be in Manhatten…looks too nice to be anywhere else._

She reasoned in her head as she shut the door behind herself and Stephen, who frowned at her.

"Do you think this is-"

"New York Sanctum Sanctorium? Yeah" Via nodded frowning as she looked about the front hallway "But I don't understand. There should be a master here. Master Harim said that there always has to be at least one master defending a sanctum at any given time"

She stopped as she heard something creaking above their heads.

"Hello!" Stephen called.

But there was only silence.

"Do you think Kaesilius-" Stephen began but was stopped as Via clapped a hand over his mouth.

He was about to glare at her when he saw her give a quiet pointed look towards a corridor to their left.

With a small nod, Stephen carefully extracted his hand from hers and they both began creeping along in that direction.

Their walk through the New York Sanctum Sanctorium was silent. They passed by many strange rooms, they even passed by a set of three glass doors each seeming to lead out onto different places, in this case, a beach, a forest and a mountian valley.

Beside each door was a strange knob with a glowing amber ring.

When Stephen reached out to touch the closest one, the ocean view (which roared to life splashing liquid salt all over Via's face), it quickly transformed into the breeze of an arid sandy desert.

"Like Howl's Moving Castle" Via mumbled watching as the sand off the top of the dunes was blown away by a gust of wind.

"Who's what?" Stephen frowned confusedly at her.

"Never mind" She grunted as she turned on her heel to walk away.

Stephen followed her, just resisting the urge to smirk at her irritation when he heard the faintest creaking of wood from somewhere above their heads.

"Hello?" he called as he quickly sped up a set of stairs to their left.

"Goddammit Stephen" Via cursed as she made to follow him only to stop short as they caught sight of the end of the stairs above them.

They both made their way up slowly, Stephen holding his hands out ready for a spell whilst Via fingered her bracelets.

She wasn't sure why, but both were burning for some reason. In fact, now that she thought about it, they had both been burning ever since the explosion earlier.

 _You need us…_

Brynjya's voice hissed in her head, answering her unspoken question.

 _Call our names when the time is right…and we will come…_

 _But when would the time be right? Crap!_

Via flinched as something shined in her eye.

Stephen's hands jerked for a moment, but quickly fell a little as he realized what was the source of the glimmer.

"It's okay. It's just glass" he pointed up ahead and Via looked up and saw to her surprise a glass cabinet, in which several small objects had been arranged neatly on display, including a golden goblet and a small effigy of some ancient deity.

Both she and Stephen crept further into the room, both straightening up as they assessed their surroundings.

They appeared to have stepped into a place that looked part museum, part antiques shop. More and more glass cabinets surrounded them, some containing one big object, others containing a mired of artefacts all kept pristine and gleaming…and practically thriving with magic.

Via could feel the thrum of energy around her like the buzzing of a busy worker bee even as she and Stephen approached a cabinet containing what appeared to be a large red cloak, which hovered happily with no mannequin to support itself.

As Stephen and Via passed it, it floated closer to the glass, the hem of it reaching up hand-like to touch at the glass.

"Come on" Stephen growled, grabbing Via's hand away before she could reach up to meet the gesture with her own hand.

She was about to scowl back but paused as something shifted in the floor below.

Stephen felt it too.

They looked around.

Nothing, besides them and the strange cloak was moving. The many cabinets around them sat undisturbed, their cases now gleaming as sunlight began streaming through a gigantic circular window that was just opposite another set of stairs leading back down, down and…

The floor shifted again, and this time they heard very plainly the sounds of something like tiles shifting.

Via felt her heart sink.

She knew that sound.

She'd heard it the very day the Ancient One had found her…when Kaesilius had chased her down that alley way.

"Via" Stephen called, but already she was running down the stairs, skipping two at a time and even jumping the last flight using her dream-catcher's powers.

Stephen could barely keep up with her, and was only able to catch up as she quickly pulled to a sudden stop.

They appeared to have come back to the front hallway, only this time they both stood at the top of the splitting staircase.

At the bottom on the ground floor, a dark man in green and yellow robes was standing, weapon held high as he faced the entrance, through which two people had entered.

Led by Kaesilius himself.

"Is that" Stephen whispered and Via nodded, quickly flattening herself against the wall as the rogue sorcerer and his Zealots came into view, smirking at the master before him.

"Daniel Drumm, I heard they made you master of the Sanctum."

"You know what that means" the master, Daniel Drumm, narrowed his eyes at his adversary who just sighed softly.

"That you'll die protecting it"

Via felt a shiver run down her spine as she watched Kaesilius slide his hands apart, a spike of what seemed to be glass, refracting a little in the light of the chandelier above their heads. Beside him, his zealots followed suit, each fingering their own piercing shard with careful precision.

The master Daniel Drumm, gripped his weapon tighter in his hands, his eyes darting around.

Via could tell at once he was assessing his situation, but even she could already tell that it was of no use.

If the massacre at the London Sanctum was anything to go by, Kaesilius was going to go all out to decimate anyone and anything that came in his way.

Too bad she wasn't in the mood to watch people die.

Kaesilius struck forwards. Daniel blocked his blows and those of the Zealots around him, quickly disarming and striking them down…only to leave his front exposed for a split second.

Kaesilius raised his glass weapon-

"VIA WAIT!"

"ARGH!" Via leapt down the stairs in a single bound, her hand reaching forwards palm open.

Stephen watched aghast as Kaesilius's weapon stabbed straight down, only to be forced back hard as something blue blocked his path.

Daniel Drumm rolled to the side, as someone smaller than him pushed him aside, forcing her hands forward so that the blue web like mandala shield in front of her gave a sudden push.

Kaesilius's zealots fell backwards onto their behinds, but Kaesilius himself held his ground, his surprise quickly giving way to a snarl.

"Olivia Sorenson, I am glad to see you have survived"

Via panted holding up her shield as a Zealot tried to slice his weapon back down on her. The sharp point clashed horribly, sparks flying up like the beginnings of firecrackers. Via felt the shudder but kept her ground, not noticing Kaesilius quickly rush from behind her, his own weapon raised to strike her between her back.

"STOP!" Master Daniel Drumm yelled as he flung himself in the way of the strike, the point piercing him straight through the chest.

Via felt her entire body freeze as blood spurted out from the wound, some flecks of it flying into her face, the smell of it filling her nose as Kaesilius thrust the man off to the side, as if he were nothing more than a rag doll, to scramble pathetically on the floor.

"Now see what you did child?" Kaesilius hissed eyes flashing as he looked down on Via, twirling his glass spear to point the tip of it against her neck. "Did you think you could just rush into battle and play the hero with no consequences or risks."

Via stayed silent her eyes staring down at the struggling the man on all fours beside her.

"Poor child" Kaesilius cooed mockingly as he tapped the flat of his weapon under her chin "I know it's not your fault. The Ancient One and her lapdog may have taught you to fight a sparring match but they never did prepare you for the inevitable war. Had it not been for that relic around your neck you would be nothing but cannon-fodder-"

"HEY!"

Kaesilius and Via both looked up in surprise, to see Stephen standing in plain view at the top of the stairs, his face pale.

"Stephen don't-argh!" Via cried out as one of the zealots quickly pulled her into a hard headlock as she kneeled on the ground.

"A friend of yours, child?" Kaesilius snorted down at her before turning back to her companion. "Tell me, how long have you been at Kamar-Taj mister-?"

"Doctor" Stephen corrected him on autopilot.

"Mister Doctor" Kaesilius's burnt brow rose and Stephen shook his head.

"No-it's Strange" he tried again but Kaesilius only chuckled softly.

"Maybe, but who am I to judge"

Despite her situation, Via rolled her eyes, only to cry out in shock and terror as suddenly Kaesilius struck backwards with his weapon…piercing Master Daniel Drumm straight in his guts

"NO!" she cried reaching for the falling man, but it was too late. His body had already fallen on the floor, a pool of red beginning to stain the wood beneath him in a growing puddle.

However, she didn't have time to worry about that, not when she heard the sparking energy of spell work and a hand grabbing at the roots of her hair.

With a hard tug she was wrenched upwards and she came face to face with Kaesilius who smirked.

"You should be thankful Russo has need of you" he hissed as he began to drag her away by the hair. "Otherwise I would've killed you when I summoned you all those months ago"

"Let me go!" Via struggled, her eyes quickly finding Stephen who was busy fighting her captor's followers with a whip of amber mystic energy. He was moving fast and well, but he was still very much outnumbered.

 _I need to help him_

She hissed as she struggled hard, but then quickly stopped as she heard a voice growl heatedly in her head.

 _Say my name, like you did my sister's or I will finish the job for you brat_

"Asmund" Via whispered in relief. Never had she been so glad to hear that grumpy dragon's voice in her head.

"What did you say?" she faintly heard Kaesilius's voice behind her, but her guardian dragon's voice drowned him out with a more savage growl.

 _You'll have to speak up a little louder than that brat, I'm not as patient as my sister._

"ASMUND!"

There was a blast of golden light and Kaesilius stumbled backwards as something hard hit him in the stomach.

Meanwhile up on the staircase, the two Zealot's attacking stopped to stare at their startled leader, only to each get hit hard by a strike from Stephen's weapon.

"Olivia!" he called as the golden light began to fade from the spot his roommate had been.

"I'm okay!" he heard her voice call.

And indeed, she was. As the golden light flickered back to nothingness, Via stood there, arms raised, a golden metal staff in her hands.

"Using the mystic arts in combat. You've come a long way in such a short space of time" Kaesilius's lip curled as he began to stalk back up to her, twirling his glass spear in his hands.

"but not far enough I'm afraid"

And with that he struck. Quickly Via thrust her weapon out in front of her to catch the blow, months of training quickly rising back up to the surface.

Swiftly she blocked and dodged his blows, though she herself could never land a hit in, he was far too experienced a warrior than she to let her do so.

Instead he herded her backwards towards the stairs, where his two zealots had quickly recovered and had turned away from Stephen to attack her instead from behind.

"Oh no you don't" Stephen grunted as with a flick of his wrist, his golden whip grabbed at a ceramic vase close by and flung it hard at the zealots. They scattered quickly, forced to abandon their ambush and dodge out of the way as Kaesilius destroyed the projectile with one flick of his weapon.

But the damage was done, Via was already darting back to Stephen's side the web of Asibikaashi glowing as she used its power to propel herself up onto the banisters and run swiftly on them. As she did so, she quickly hurled her palm downwards towards the ground, sending a bright flash of light that filled the whole hall with white, like a second sun had been suddenly lit up from within the walls.

"This way quick!" Stephen grabbed Via's arm as she reached him, dragging her away to the door behind the staircase as their three attackers were forced to shield their eyes from the blinding flash.

"You have your sling ring?" he asked as they slid into the passage way with the three glass doors.

"No the Ancient One confiscated it remember." Via scowled, chancing a glance around their hiding spot.

They heard the shouts and heavy footfalls of their enemies get closer and closer.

"Here take mine" Stephen said, shoving his sling ring into her grip, before pushing her towards the glass doors "Go out through one of those doors and get yourself back to Kamar-Taj. I'll hold them off-"

"NO" Via snapped shoving his ring back into his hands. "Sorry, Doc not gonna happen. If you think I'm going to run away and leave my best friend behind to be killed by a crazy ass sorcerer, then think again. Either We can both leave and get help from Kamar-Taj, or we stand here and fight, together."

Stephen stared at her in astonishment. He knew Via was fiercely loyal to those she cared about, but he never expected something like this. It was oddly touching…and very worrying.

She may have been a good fighter, but she was still just a kid, and Stephen didn't think he could bear it if he let a kid die on his watch. On the other hand, he could plainly see she was not about to move from his side any time soon.

 _And people call me stubborn_

He mused for a split second, as the footsteps of their attackers suddenly became very crisp and sharp to their ears.

"So do we run or fight?" Via asked as they both began backing away from the

"Run" Stephen nodded and quickly both leapt away just as Kaesilius and his Zealot's came around the corner.

Via was quick to latch onto the ceiling as Stephen made to dash on the floor.

But neither of them got very far at all, for within a split second of seeing them Kaesilius raised his palms.

At once all the surfaces in the corridor began to shift.

Via nearly tripped, almost falling back down to earth as the surface beneath her feet began to slide, like a treadmill under her feet. Likewise, Stephen's fast footfalls quickly slowed to a stop as he realized with a horrible jolt that he was not moving any further than where he was.

But that didn't deter him as he summoned up two powerful Mandala's nor Via, who quickly straightened up to stand upside down on the ceiling, holding out Asmund's golden staff.

At least not till one of Stephen's mandala's suddenly sputtered and died on him.

"Well that was very anti-climactic." Via rolled her eyes.

"Just shut up and fight" Stephen growled, just as their three attackers jumped into action.

Kaesilius was first to leap up onto the ceiling, but it was his two zealots that reached both their targets fastest from the walls.

They nearly made quick work of Stephen shoving him backwards but not before he managed to whip one of them back, sending them flying onto the opposite side of the corridor.

Via Meanwhile was fighting the other Zealot upside down, doing flips on the ceiling to avoid his moves and striking with Asmund whenever she could.

She had just managed to wind her opponent squarely in the stomach, when Kaesilius managed to reach her. But instead of attacking her he merely raised his arms once more.

Again, the walls and ceiling began to shift, this time around and around like the inside of a kaleidoscope.

The web of Asibikaashi glowed bright hot on Via's chest as she tried her hardest to plant herself where she crouched.

Stephen was not so lucky and was smashed face first into the glass of a cabinet that rotated around to meet him.

Fortunately, he was only scratched on the cheek, but his relief was short lived as he was suddenly spun forcibly around, like a lone cloth in an empty washing machine, which was quickly turning from a front loader and into a top loader with a wave of Kaesilius's hands.

It took all of Via's power to keep herself crouched on the wall, her body perpendicular to the long drop down into the three glass doors, which Stephen and various other objects in the room were flying towards at top speed.

Thankfully, the doctor was able to grab hold of a wooden rafter, only just in time as a large side table fell down past him, hitting a zealot hard in the stomach and sending her crashing through the glass door that led to the desert.

But even as she fell through the glass, her spell she had been about to unleash, slipped out and snagged itself around Via's ankle.

"NO!" Via heard Stephen and Kaesilius yell as she fell away back through the portal and into a sandy dune.

At once she was hit with a wall of heat, as bright sunlight suddenly started scorching her head from above, almost zapping her of her immediate energy.

She slid down the sand dune, her feet sinking into the harsh grainy surface as if she were walking through water.

The Zealot too was disoriented as she staggered to her feet, her burnt eyes full of malice and victory as she tried to heave her way to stalk her prey. Panting, Via struggled to her feet, her eyes wide as she realized Asmund's staff was a few meters' away half buried in the sand, right in front of her attacker.

"What's wrong, kid? _Scared?_ " the female Zealot sneered as she trudged up towards her, her glass shard weapon glinting dangerously in the hot sun.

Via didn't answer, her eyes were glued right onto the golden staff.

If she could just reach it…but no, she wouldn't she'd die first before she'd even take a step!

She shut her eyes for a small moment, concentrating hard on her breathing as something flashed over her brain.

 _"_ _Argh! Ow…" she winced as she sat up gingerly from the stone ground, sighing defeated as a shadow passed over her. "I guess I epically failed that one huh?"_

 _"_ _No Olivia, you did not epically fail. You just made a mistake. One that can be easily fixed." Master Karl Mordo smirked as he held out a hand towards her._

 _She took it, huffing with slight embarrassment as he pulled her easily to her feet._

 _As he did so, she noticed several of the other students around them quickly turning away, whispering behind their hands._

 _"_ _Pay them no attention" Mordo's voice was stern but gentle as he addressed his pupil "focus only on your fighting"_

 _"_ _Kinda hard when everyone stops to stare at me like I'm a hyena in a zoo" Via muttered as she took the first stance again, only to have something sweep hard at her head._

 _"_ _Hey!" she scowled as she ducked just in time._

 _"_ _Had you not been distracted; you might have blocked and counter attacked and actually hit me" Mordo chuckled his arm deftly flying out to strike at her._

 _It wasn't a hard swipe, he never did strike hard against her or the other younger students when teaching, but it was tough enough that she was forced to dodge to the side._

 _"_ _Stop thinking about everything and think only of one thing." He said as they began to circle one another "the more you try to think about everything around you, the less you see of what is in front of you, and that can mean the difference between life and death on the battlefield"_

 _"_ _Right!" Via nodded, her eyes darting warily between his hands and his legs as he raised his arms to hit her again._

 _She tried to block him but was only able to just protect three quarters of her head from the blow._

 _"_ _Stop trying to remember everything I taught you Trust yourself, trust your training. If it has stuck with you, it will be there when you need it." Mordo clipped as he made to aim a strike from the side, only to quickly change it to a swift, but gentle takedown._

 _Via winced again as she felt her behind hit the floor hard once more, only to let her hands fly up to the foot that had suddenly swooped down over her face. She caught the strike deftly in her hands, and looked up to see Mordo smirking down on her._

 _"_ _There, see. Trust yourself-"_

"-Trust your training…Okay…I trust you" Via breathed, opening her eyes just in time to see the female Zealot begin to run towards her, glass weapon held high.

For a split second, the world seemed to slow down.

The Zealot's arm was moving at a snail's pace, each micro expression visible to Via's eye. But what was most prominent was the thrum of energy pulsing through her, pushing her to shout:

"Brynja!"

* * *

 **and that is where i leave you, once again hanging over the edge of a cliff in the story. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA!**

 **It was tough figuring out what to do with Via during this first part of the battle of the Sanctum Sanctorium, i don't even want to think about how i'm going to tackle everything else that comes next (seriously it's going to be super hard)**

 **But on the subject of fighting, what did you guys think of Via's guardian, Asmund's power, and what do you guys think Brynja's will be? :D**

 **Keep reviewing if you want to find out more.**

 **till next time**

 **cheers**

 **FuzzyBeta 3**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: Drown Your Sorrows**

 _I'll never forget that first time I called out the names of my guardians._

 _The rush of energy I felt flowing through me was almost unbelievable. And yet for some reason, it did not feel foreign or unnatural. Looking back on my childhood, I can now see that there had been several times I had felt the same sensation run through me, especially when I had been scared, struggling and or upset. I had just been too inexperienced to realize what it meant till that day._

 _Asmund's powers have always been the easiest to harness out of my two guardians', even if he himself is a bit of an arse. Human beings are a naturally conflict oriented species, and I have always had an affinity for the warrior's way._

 _Brynja on the other hand…well let's just say it took a little while to get used to her._

* * *

"Brynja!"

There was a glow of golden light and the female Zealot fell backwards as her glass spear was yanked from her by a golden, scaled clawed hand and shattered into a million pieces with a single squeeze.

"by the multiverse…" The Zealot began scrambling backwards as she caught sight of her prey.

Instead of the young innocent looking little blonde teenager, stood a figure of the same height, wearing a blue tailcoat, black pants and tunic …and what looked to be a second skin like suit of golden scales covering her from the tips of her clawed fingers, all the way up to the sides of her head and jaw, leaving her tired but determined face to be seen.

Via panted as she stood up, blue eyes blazing as she reached out and grabbed at Asmund's staff. The suit of armor was covering every inch of her body below her head like a bodysuit and felt very odd. Not because it was alien, in fact quite the reverse, if anything it felt as if it always belonged there. And that unnerved Via to no end.

But she didn't have time to contemplate her circumstances, not when her opponent was recovering from her shock and was running towards her again, another spear of glass summoned instantly to her hands.

Swiftly, Via blocked the movement, wincing as the tip of the glass barely grazed her armor and making a horrible screech in her ear. She shoved her opponent off hard, forcing her to fly back into the sand again.

"OLIVIA!" she heard a voice yell and she turned to see Stephen yelling at her from a glass door that seemed to float in midair just above her.

"Behind you!" she yelled as she saw the silhouette of another man's head behind Stephen, who turned to quickly start fighting him off all the while reaching for a knob on the door.

 _Wham!_

Via felt a body crash straight into her and cried out in pain as the female zealot tried digging her sharp fingernails into her face, only for them to travel down to her victim's throat.

Via struggled wildly as she felt the hands around her neck squeeze hard, and even though the metal protected it from the cuts of those sharp nails, it still bent sufficiently enough to hurt as her windpipe was slowly forcing itself shut.

With a gargantuan effort, a gasp and the creaking of metal scales, Via quickly pushed her arms to the sides and slapped them both up, her palms smashing hard against the sides of her captor's ears.

"AH!" the female zealot yelled as she stumbled off her prey. But before she could get away Via reached out and with very light fingers, snagged her golden sling ring from her belt and snatched Asmund's staff from the sand.

Kicking her opponent hard in the stomach she leapt to her feet, ignoring the pain in her throat, and began opening a portal, just as the doorway above quickly closed.

"Oh no you don't-" the female zealot growled as she stumbled to her feet and groggily began running towards the circular ring of sparks that Via had just stepped through.

"Sorry, not gonna happen." Via snarled as with a swift rotation of her arms, the portal sealed shut behind her, leaving her standing at in the cold circular front hallway of the New York Sanctum Sanctorium…and right in front of the dark skeletal form of Fabian Russo.

He smirked with cold approval as she quickly turned her weapon on him.

"Brava! My dear, Brava!" He clapped slowly, his brown eyes in his sunken eye sockets glinting as he beheld her fear.

"Very well done indeed. You are a truly ruthless little warrior in the making. But then again, what else can be expected from the last remaining heir of the Sorenson line."

"What have you done with Cassian?" Via snarled, the scaly armor on her body audibly shifting as her now clawed hands gripped her staff tight.

"My son, oh I've done nothing with him." Fabian shrugged nonchalantly.

"He's running another errand for me back at Hong Kong. It's just as well. He's surprisingly squeamish when it comes to the shedding the blood of an enemy. He's like his mother, he prefers more subtle methods of getting what he wants. Like seducing you for example-"

His sneer grew as he caught sight of the momentary pain and hurt flash over Via's bright blue eyes.

"-Yes that was all his idea. He figured you'd be starving for attention and love after so long of being alone. So much so that you'd be willing to help our cause. But I also knew you Sorenson women, you're all so stubborn and oh-so-high and mighty to see over your self-righteous noses. I must admit; you are far more open minded then your mother. She had grown up a spoiled entitled daughter of what you might call the mystic aristocracy. But you…you've actually faced trials and tribulations of proper hardship. You know what it is like to suffer, to be alone, to live without power and as such I know you of all people will respect it when it is given to you. Which is why I'm going to hold back on killing you now and give you a choice."

He took a sinister step forward and Via took a step back, quickly glancing behind as she saw something red in the corner of her eye.

And that's when she realized, not one, but three of Kaesilius's zealots were standing around her back. Each one holding a spike of glass. Each one glaring at her through burned eyes as Fabian hissed.

"Join me, Olivia Sorenson. Join my son and I, and we will show you power beyond your wildest dreams. We will give you the life denied to you for so long. A life of freedom, power, respect…a world where you're never alone. A life-"

"-A life where I become a monster like you?" Via finished, her voice shaking slightly "A world where if I refuse to comply, you would kill me in two seconds flat without mercy?"

"Kill you in two seconds flat?" Fabian chortled "My dear, I've waited too long to just simply end you so suddenly. No, no. I won't kill you right now…but I will kill _him_ , or rather, I'll let my old friend Kaesilius do so…"

He paused to admire the effect of these words just as something above crashed loudly.

Something that sounded horribly like glass.

"Stephen" Via breathed, horror flooding her.

Without pausing to think she crouched low and sprang away.

Some of the Zealots tried to go after her, but were held back when Fabian Russo yelled:

"Let her go. It's high time she saw the consequences of her actions."

* * *

 _That run to the top of the New York Sanctum, was perhaps one of the most terrifying runs I've ever made in my life._

 _For one thing I could hear the sounds of the fight going on upstairs._

 _For another, I didn't know what kind of sight I'd end up seeing when I got there._

 _Don't get me wrong. I had seen Stephen fight, and I had faith in him being able to hit back. But at the same time Kaesilius had more time training then him in the mystic arts and martial arts. Unfortunately, when such skills are added to a madman's brain, it makes a rather lethal combination._

 _It's a good thing dear ol' Levi was there to save his skin in time…_

* * *

 _Thwump!_

Stephen and Kaesilius stared at the thing.

The hem of the large red cloak had just struck out on its own, grabbing Kaesilius's armed hand and stopping it mid strike.

He yanked his arm away and made to strike with his mystical crystalline weapon again at his soon to be victim, who was trying to scramble away.

But even as the sharp tip of the weapon came slicing down, the levitating red cloak reached out and grabbed his arm.

With a growl of irritation, he tore his arm out again, this time aiming a hard kick to Stephen's stomach, winding him completely even as he scrambled to his feet.

With a quick instinctive flick, the doctor turned sorcerer, blocked the strike aimed at him, only to get hit three times by a sharp and hard fist.

On the third strike, he fell backwards, his form falling over the low banister that separated the Sanctum's top floor, and the steep flight of stairs below.

He didn't hit the ground.

Instead he felt something warm and thick wrap around his shoulders.

It was like a pair of hands were grabbing him hard and yanking him up into the air, their presence firm but comforting and stable, even as he began to hover upwards.

He barely had time to appreciate Kaesilius's stunned expression before he realized that he needed to strike back with interest for the hits to his gut.

With a ferocious swipe, he unleashed the whip of mystic amber energy, striking it at his opponent who dodged to the side. As he did, the whip coiled around his weapon instead, pulling it back towards Stephen who felt the heavy cloak about his shoulders pull him back hard, just as Kaesilius began to pull away on his end.

It was him who won the dangerous tug of war, with the result that his foe was forced to slam into him, before being dragged off by the mystical mantel that now hung from his shoulders.

 _Need a weapon! Need a weapon!_

Stephen Strange looked around wildly from where he had been forcibly pinned to the wall.

He looked left and right and then he spotted it, on the wall on the other side of the window, two large axes.

 _There that'll do!_

With a grunt, he heaved himself towards the weapon…only to be jerked back hard by the cloak.

He glared back at it, horribly aware of Kaesilius's form striding over to him from the corner of his eye, ready to strike.

Pursing his lips, he tried again to run towards the axes, trying to shrug his shoulders to relieve himself of the blasted relic that had attached itself to him. But it clung to him even harder and forced itself to point to the wall behind its bearer.

Stephen followed its gesture and saw what appeared to be a strange sort of armor or chainmail hanging from a rack on the wall.

His heart skipped a horrible beat as he caught sight of Kaesilius's shadow darken the back of his shoulders and quickly he blocked the strike and punched.

As Kaesilius fell backwards, the strange Cloak dragged Stephen back a few paces towards the armor, which he flung desperately at his foe before he could even get to his feet.

The result was instantaneous…and odd.

Instead of just being tossed aside, the armor seemed to seal itself around Kaesilius and lock in place.

One by one, each of his limbs were twisted and bolted into place until he was kneeling on the floor, his arms twisted behind his back and is mouth bound and gagged by a metal slab across his face.

Stephen couldn't help but grin a little to himself at the sight as he stood to his feet, wiping the blood from his cut lips and greying temples.

 _Not bad for a first fight_

He wanted to smirk, but was stopped when a shout reached his ears.

"Stephen!"

"Olivia?!" he called and sure as eggs, Olivia Summers rushed in up the stairs behind him, panting for breath and looking very pale.

"Thank god! You're alive." She groaned in relief as she rushed up to him and before Stephen could stop her she had flung her arms around his middle and crashed herself straight into him good and tight.

"Oh, Jesus man! When that bastard said you'd be…thank the bloody lord" she sighed, burying her face into his blue tunic.

"Uh…good to see you too…" Stephen muttered, his ears flushing a deep vermillion as he carefully prized the young teenage girl off him. Truth be told he was quite moved by her unusual display of affection and would've gladly returned it…had Kaesilius not been still kneeling there watching their every movement like a hawk.

When Via caught sight of their captive, she promptly blushed scarlet, and yanked herself off Stephen with a stiff and awkward cough.

"Shit, sorry! Sorry…Right well…good job doc. You got him good"

"Yeah I guess I did" Stephen bristled as his ears pricked to the sound of mumbling.

"What?" he asked.

Kaesilius just kept mumbling.

"Do you think I should remind him that he has the right to remain silent?" Via glared down at Kaesilius, but quickly stifled her sneer as Stephen gave her a swift sharp look.

"Stand back." He clipped and Via stood back, her grip on Asmund tightening as Stephen stepped forward and yanked the gag from their enemy's still mumbling mouth.

"Undying…Dormammu…the eternal-"

"Oh stop it" Stephen rolled his eyes but Kaesilius just continued to ramble on in an unintelligible babble, shutting his burnt eyes.

Via tilted her head as she tried to sift for words she could understand. From the sounds of it, it seemed to be a chant of some kind.

 _Maybe a prayer or a spell…_

She mused but Stephen was having none of it.

"I said stop it!" he growled back.

Finally, Kaesilius, stopped, his eyes flickering open.

They pierced straight into Via as his lips curled into a small sneer.

"You cannot stop this Mister Doctor"

"Look we don't even know what this is" Stephen groaned.

"This is the end-" Kaesilius inhaled sharply as if he were an old man having his patience strained by an overactive child "-and the beginning. The many becoming the few becoming the one"

"Look if you're not going to start making sense I'm just gonna put this thing back on" Stephen strolled back over to him, gag at the ready but Via stopped him.

"Wait-"

"Tell me mister Doctor" Kaesilius tried over the top of her, only to be steamrolled by Stephen's growl of aggravation.

"Alright look, my name is _Doctor Stephen Strange_ "

"So, you are a doctor?" Kaesilius's brow rose in slight surprise. "A scientist?"

He smirked as Stephen nodded silently.

"Then you understand the laws of nature, all the things age. All things die. In the end our sun burns out and our universe grows cold and perishes-"

"Wow aren't you a bright ray of sunshine" Via muttered under her breath, but Kaesilius ignored her, his eyes burning with hunger as he said:

"-But the dark dimension. It's a place beyond time"

"that's it I'm putting this thing back on" Stephen rolled his eyes as he once again stepped forwards with the gag.

"This world doesn't have to die doctor" Kaesilius said loudly, his voice ringing off the walls like a gong.

Stephen paused in his steps.

"This world can take its rightful place alongside so many other dimensions as part of the one. The great and beautiful one…we can all live forever."

"Really?" Stephen murmured, eyes narrowing as he stepped in front of Kaesilius, blocking his view of Via completely. "And what do _you_ have to gain out of this new age dimensional utopia"

"The same as you…the same as her…the same as everyone. Life. Eternal life. People think of the world as good and evil, when really, time is the true enemy of us all." Kaesilius's eyes flickered to Via, who shifted uncomfortably under that harsh stare. "-Time kills everything…even that which we think is young and everlasting"

"And what about the people you killed?" Stephen snapped but Kaesilius didn't even flinch at the harsh tones.

In fact, he seemed to Via, to be completely indifferent…like the time he confessed to Fala's death all those months ago. The old woman may have been infuriating with her cryptic riddling words, hidden secrets, and hard-ass walking stick, but she had been also kind, patient…a teacher. One who Via might never get to learn from ever again.

And so, she felt her blood boil hotter than ever before as her friend's murderer said.

"Tiny…momentary specks within an indifferent universe"

"Bullshit! You're nothing but a butcher-" Via blurted out before she could stop herself, fresh tears leaking accidentally from her eyes as her free armored hand clenched into a tight golden fist. But Stephen quickly held her back by the hood of her blue coat.

"Don't listen to him" he hissed in her ear as Kaesilius narrowed his eyes on the two of them.

"I don't expect you to understand child, but you Doctor, you see what we are doing. The world is not what it ought to be. Humanity longs for the eternal, for a world beyond time, because time is what mislays us, time, is an insult. Death is an insult. Doctor…we don't seek to rule this world. We seek to save it. To hand it over to Dormammu who is the intent of all evolution, the why of all existence"

"The Sorcerer Supreme defends existence" Stephen glared and Kaesilius snorted bitterly.

"What was it that brought you to Kamar Taj, Doctor. Was it enlightenment…power-" he paused as he saw his enemies eyes flicker to the floor, his scarred fists clenching and unclenching by his side. "And you child…"

He turned to Via who's jaw was set as she struggled to hold back tears.

"you were taken in not just because I pursued you that night…but also because you had nothing…nothing except for the clothes on your back and a broken heart from being abandoned by your birth parents… You both came to be healed as did we all. Kamar-Taj is a place that collects broken things. We all came with the promise of healing, but instead the Ancient One gives us parlor tricks. The real magic she keeps to herself…did you ever wonder how she managed to live this long?"

There was a deafening silence. One that rang through Via's ears like a cathedral bell as she registered every one of the expressions running over Stephen's face.

Confusion…realization…comprehension…understanding…anger…then fear…

"Wait…so the ritual in the book of Cagliostro-"

"She uses to stay immortal" Via finished for him.

Stephen turned to her, eyes wide.

"You knew?" he breathed and she nodded.

"Yeah…yeah I knew…" Via mumbled avoiding his eye and looking down to the floor in shame as his eyes flashed with hurt and anger.

"Since when?"

"Since I summoned her all those months ago" Kaesilius answered as Via shut her eyes to her feet. "Do not feel betrayed Doctor. By keeping the Ancient One's secret, your young friend here is still alive to see this day and stand beside you. The ritual gives me the power to overthrow the Ancient One, and tear her Sanctums down. To let the Dark Dimension in. Because what the Ancient One hordes, Dormammu gives freely. Life everlasting. He's not the destroyer of worlds, Doctor, he is the savior of worlds."

"No I mean, come on" Stephen shook his head "I mean look at your face. Dormammu made you a murderer. Just how good can his kingdom be?"

Kaesilius just chuckled softly and Via scowled.

"What's so funny?" she snarled but Kaesilius just grinned.

"What's funny…is that he's lost his sling ring"

Stephen reached down to his belt…but nothing was there save the buckle.

He looked at Via who shook her head out frantically, only to gasp as something glass shot through the air straight at Stephens' body.

"NO!" she cried, trying to lunge forwards to catch him, but it was too late. The glass spear had pierced her friend straight in his stomach, making his blue tunic stain red and brown as he stumbled forwards, almost straight into one of Kaesilius's zealots as he ran up the stairs towards them.

With a roar of rage, Via lunged forwards, only to be jerked back as something dark and shadowy grabbed her from behind. Meanwhile the zealot pushed Stephen's wounded form down the stairs, his body toppling down in one big heap, small splatters of blood staining the wooden steps and floor.

"STEPHEN!" She yelled struggling wildly against her captor, who seemed to be solidifying from dark smoke and yelling in her ear.

"Via stop! Stop! You're only going to get hurt"

It was Cassian and he sounded worried.

But Via did not care.

"Let go of me!" she hissed only to gasp as suddenly she was lifted straight up into the air. As she did so, Cassian's body suddenly turned to black smoke, except for his hands which remained fairly solid, if completely coal black.

In a whoosh of wind and smog she was sped away, her body flying around several cabinets until finally she managed to snag Asmund's staff, (which she was still holding onto tightly) into a small nook in a doorway hinge.

There was the shattering of glass as she and Cassian's quickly solidifying form smashed straight into a glass cabinet.

Via winced as she felt small flecks of glass graze her uncovered cheek, blood smearing itself in a streak as she peeled her face off the wooden floor, shoving off the warm blanket of body-heat that was her betraying-boyfriend's body.

"Via-" Cassian tried but she rolled over and glared at him through teary eyes.

"Don't touch me!" She growled scrambling up to her feet "Don't you dare touch me!"

"Via please let me explain-" Cassian tried through gritted teeth, his brown eyes oddly bright as well.

But Via was having none of it.

"Explain what? That you were using me to get your revenge! That you thought I was so pathetic weak and lonely that I'd fall head over heels and follow you around like a kicked street puppy! I-I trusted you! I bloody loved you but you… Everything we had was just a lie?!"

"No, it wasn't!" Cassian barked over the top of her his fists clenching by his sides and shaking. "I mean, yes maybe I did lie about my father and that, but I never did once lie about the way I felt about you"

"Bullshit!" Via whispered, the tears now streaming down her face in torrents as she backed away from his outreaching arms.

"Olivia…" Cassian tried but stopped as the sound of coughing suddenly sounded from their right.

Both teens turned quickly, and saw to their horror, Fabian Russo standing there looking smug.

"I told you my son" he drawled as he sauntered over to the two of them "the Sorenson's, vengeful and stubborn in the face of the truth. Yes, this one is an unusual exception to the rest of her clan, but at heart she is still one of them. And she will only cause you pain and heart ache"

Via suddenly felt as if a lightbulb had gone off in her head.

A very horrible lightbulb.

"You were in love with Freyja…weren't you?" She breathed.

Fabian's lips fell, to be replaced by a bitter scowl that made his skeletal face look even more gaunt and ghastly.

"I was…when we were youngsters. But it was short lived when I realized she didn't return my affections. In the end, it did not matter that much, I eventually found the love of my life and your mother…well, she loved no one and returned no one's affections till…well till she met the man that sired you I suppose. I know not who he was, nor do I care" he added when Via looked ready to interrupt "All that matters is that your conniving mother's legacy is destroyed. A legacy that unfortunately includes you"

"Father wait-" Cassian tried to step in front of Via but was pushed aside roughly by a blast of magic.

"Cass-ugh!" Via choked as suddenly she felt her body fly backwards…and straight into something solid.

She slumped against the surface, noticing to her horror as she slid down that the glass that had once been shattered on the floor, was now starting to rise and fly back towards her.

She raised her arms to shield her face but the pain and sharp shards did not cut her.

She quickly chanced a small glance through her hands only to splutter as Fabian's hands glowed blue and something wet blasted into her face.

Fabian Russo chuckled loudly, the sound echoing around his captive menacingly as the large barrage of water from his elemental spell splashed around his victim, sloshing hard like a stormy sea as the glass box that had once been broken, began to repair itself back into its former state, trapping the liquid and the girl inside.

By the time the box had finished reforming, the water was already up to Via's waist and was steadily growing higher, even though its' spell caster had lowered his hands to press against the glass.

As soon as he did so, he released a small pulse of green energy, which began coating the inside of the box like a layer of paint, shimmering and venomous.

Via seeing the energy, began striking and slamming her shoulder into the box, but to no avail. The surface didn't even shake a millimeter as she tried to claw at it with her armored hands. Not even a scratch.

Fabian Russo just laughed.

"I wouldn't bother struggling. The water will increase till it fills your little cage. Don't worry" he added in a demonic hiss as he put his face close to her clawing hands on the glass "I won't kill you. I told you before, I want you to suffer for a very long time. Which is why I'll only just kill you, revive you with my magic, and then kill you again…and again…and again…till you start begging for oblivion. Only then will I show you mercy and drive you through with your own weapons-"

"Father no-stop!" Cassian yelled as he struggled against his father's mystic bonds, only to waver as Fabian turned a terrible eye on him.

"Stay out of this boy! I'm doing this for your own good. This witch spawn is nothing but trouble just like the rest of her clan was. If you let her live she will only cause you hurt and heartbreak. You should be grateful I'm teaching you this valuable lesson so early in life so you don't have to learn it the hard way."

"Cass!" Via cried out as she felt the water pass above her chest and quickly rise up to her collar bone, fear flooding through her as she continued to hammer away at the glass.

But to no avail.

She tried flailing her arms, her hands slapping at the water trying to push her upwards…but unfortunately her body could not pull itself up. How could it? She had never learned how to swim.

She struggled wildly, heart hammering as she tried to ignore the coldness of the water seeming to seep like ice into her veins, draining her of all hope as the water rose to just under her nose.

"CASS!" she cried as she tried tilting her head up as she tried to keep her mouth above water.

Cassian however was being dragged back by a hand through a sling ring portal just as a figure in yellow appeared by Fabian's side.

"I see you've finally managed to free yourself Kaesilius" Fabian smirked.

"I thought you said you were going to save killing her for after Hong Kong" Kaesilisu glanced at Via, his tone so casual, he might've been asking the other man whether he had remembered to carry an umbrella for a rainy day outside.

Fabian's smile twisted into a sneer.

"Don't worry I still am. I just want to teach this little brat a quick lesson before that. You go on ahead with my son. I'll be around soon enough."

"If I were you I'd make it quick. The Ancient One is bound to appear soon with her guard dog" Kaesilius rolled his eyes and stalked off out the door, barely sparing Via a glance as he shut the door to the upper Sanctum shut behind him.

 _AIR! NEED AIR!_

Via sucked in a deep breath, a little water trickling into her mouth as the water finally covered her head.

She tried kicking her legs upwards to follow the dwindling pocket of air but was jerked back down suddenly as something tugged at her ankle.

She looked down and saw through the stinging blur of her watery gaze, something like a black tether looped around both her feet pulling her forcibly down so that she only floated an inch from the bottom of the glass box.

Her lungs began to burn as with a small grunt, she dropped to a floating crouch, her clawed hands trying and failing to cut at the bonds of mystic energy that held her down.

"You know this really is quite amusing. Watching you like this" Fabian smiled widely as he watched her try to pull on her bonds again. "It's almost like I'm watching your mother reincarnate"

Via glared as she looked up at him.

She couldn't hear him, that clearly, but she could feel the malice directed upon her as his shadow fell over her form.

Her lungs now burning, she shoved herself forcibly against the glass, her golden clawed hands making sparks fly as they met the magic barrier. Meanwhile on her chest, the golden web of Asibikaashi glowed brightly, trying to lend her its energy.

But for all the good it did, Via might as well have just not worn it at all. She wasn't in the dream dimension where air didn't really matter as a substance and she was running out of oxygen and quickly stocking up on toxic carbon dioxide that would suffocate her if she held it in any longer.

And yet what else could she do, for if she opened her mouth she'd only let in torrents of water into her lungs.

Drowning or suffocation?

Which would she die from first?

Dark spots began blotting out her vision, and she felt her eyelids go heavy with fatigue.

"That's it" Fabian's loud manic laughter was now but a garbled deep hum from far away "just a little more Freyja…"

Via could feel her control over her limbs slipping, heck everything in her body was slipping away.

 _Must…must get out…Cassian…Stephen…need…_

Her mouth slid open, a large bubble of air escaping her as her eyes fluttered shut and her hands slid down from the glass-

 _BAM!_

The force of the blast was so hard that Fabian Russo was flown off his feet and into the air. Just as he did so, the glass box shattered into a cloud of dust, releasing all its water in a burst of blue light.

Via gasped as the water in her mouth flooded out and fresh air coursed straight in to replace it as she all but slid out onto the floor in a heap.

 _AIR!_

She panted as she felt a pair of hands quickly shove her over to lie on her back, two slender hands patting her cheeks.

"Olivia! Olivia can you hear me?" a voice called gently as a very blurry pale face and bald head swam into Via's vision.

"Ancientsh-ohwan-" she slurred coughing up more water as she did so.

"Lie on your side and open your mouth" the Ancient One sighed with relief as she gently helped her roll over onto her side.

Via opened her mouth and was grateful when she felt the last of the water in her throat quickly stream out her mouth. True she felt like puking, but still it was better than feeling like she was suffocating.

There was a shuffling from somewhere behind.

The Ancient One turned just in time to see Fabian Russo, leap to his feet, his silver clawed hands ready to strike.

"Fabian Russo. You would seek to destroy an innocent merely for the sake of getting revenge for a crime she didn't even commit. Your depravity truly knows no bounds" the Anceint One swiftly stood up and planted herself protectively in front of the half-conscious girl.

"And you would know all about depravity, wouldn't you Ancient One. Oh, and you've brought your lapdog with you what a surprise." Fabian hissed, his eyes narrowing as Mordo came running into the room, a spell at the ready in his hands.

"You monster what have you done?" Mordo growled, his eyes flashing dangerously as he caught sight of Via's body curled exhausted on the floor behind the ancient one.

"Isn't that a bit rich coming from the Ancient One's best killer. I've seen your work Mordo, we both know you've got just as much blood on your hands as I have. If not more." Fabian sneered as he began backing away, slipping something dark smoky and cloth like over his shoulder.

"The killings I have made were done to maintain the balance. And to protect those dear to me." Mordo's hands clenched around the short staff he had clipped to the back of his belt.

"Keep telling yourself that boy!" Fabian laughed. "But you and I both know you enjoy the slaughter and bloodshed of battle. You are your grandfather's grandson after all."

"Why you-" Mordo balked forwards but it was too late.

With a swish of his arm Fabian Russo had engulfed himself in a whirl of black smoke, laughing horribly as he slid his way through the air, narrowly avoiding getting hit by a spell cast his way by the Ancient One.

"Slippery fiend" she hissed angrily to herself as her enemy's fluid form slipped away and out of sight and reach of her or her best warrior who tried to throw a dagger at him, only to miss and hit the wooden wall instead.

With a growl, he tried to run after him but was held back as a small voice whimpered.

"Mordo?"

"Olivia" he quickly dashed back just as Via tried to rise to her elbows, bedraggled and exhausted and soaked to the bone.

"I'm okay…" she whispered as her mentor's gentle hands quickly helped her to sit up.

Panting, she leaned into his hold, and was grateful when he just let her head rest against his chest for a moment, her ear pressed close to hear his heartbeat through his tunic.

It was a steady reassuring sound, and helped her ground her erratic breathing back to normal. What she couldn't see, was the immense guilt flashing over Mordo's face, and the fear in his dark eyes as he cradled her close.

Normally he would've thought this kind of physical contact very inappropriate. Though he had pitied her circumstances, he had told himself since the beginning that Olivia Summers was to be no more than just another student to teach and to mentor in just the ways of the mystic arts. True he had let himself favor her a little during training, but that was only because she was a talented pupil who was eager and quick to learn. Or so he had thought.

Now he could see that he had fallen into the trap he had so long since told himself he would never allow himself to fall into…the trap of caring too much…and he couldn't find a way out of it.

Nor did he want to.

And so it was with a bizarre mixture of relief and reluctance that he carefully prized the young girl off of him and securely held her from under the arms and began to pull her up to her feet.

"We need to get her back to Kamar-Taj" he said to the Ancient One, who had been watching their exchange quietly.

She opened her mouth to speak, her head already nodding, but was cut short by Via's grunt of:

"No way am I going back. Not now"

"Olivia, you're too exhausted. You need to hide and rest somewhere safe" Mordo groaned as finally he managed to get her to support her own weight, even if she did have to lean against a nearby sideboard.

But Via was having none of that.

"No! Stephen's still down here! One of Kaesilius's guys stabbed him. He's hurt, he needs help-"

"And we will help him-" the Ancient One tried to say soothingly only for the young girl to steamroll over her as she straightened up shakily.

"The operative word being _we_. Listen, I'm grateful you guys saved my hide, but I'm not going to leave my best friend behind, or let my mother's killer just waltz away Scott free. He wants to drown me? Fine. He can drown me. But turn my boyfriend against me and try to kill my roommate? Now he's just begging for me to send him straight to hell!"

"Oh, you stubborn girl! Would you stop for one moment and listen" Mordo growled under his breath grabbing her arm before she could hobble away from him "This is not like your petty rivalry with Mai. This is a fully trained sorcerer, tainted by black magic and driven mad by revenge. He won't stop till you are absolutely and positively decimated off the faces of all the multiverse"

"You think I don't know that?" Via spat wrenching her arm out of his grip "He just gave me a bloody sermon about how he plans to keep bringing me back from the brink of death repeatedly till he destroys me. Yeah. I'm terrified of him, and yeah he's not going to be easy to beat, but I've still got to try to stop him because if I don't I'll lose everything I care about and so will many others."

"Olivia, please understand I only want what's best for-"

"No Mordo. It's time for you to understand" Via barked over the top of him loudly "I'm staying and fighting. I'm fighting Fabian Russo and I'm fighting against Kaesilius and his zealots and there's nothing you can do about it."

"Olivia your parents wouldn't want-" he tried again.

"I'll never know what my parents wanted because thanks to Fabian Russo I've never spoken to either of them. And you're not my father so I don't see why I should obey your orders. I'm going to fight! End of story." Via yelled as she all but shoved Mordo away and stalked over to pick up Asmund's staff from where it lay glimmering on the ground.

What she didn't notice was the stricken look that flashed over Mordo's face as he watched her back, or the soft sad huff of the Ancient One as she watched her best warrior with a sympathetic gaze.

"The pain of her lover's betrayal and Strange's hurt still weighs heavy on her. Give her time." she murmured softly to Mordo as Via made to check around a corner for any more trouble.

"I would do so…only we don't have any time left" Mordo said darkly as he made to follow Via around a corner.

The Ancient One heaved a heavy sigh as she watched his green tunic whip out of sight.

Today was truly going to be a very trying day.

* * *

 _You know I wasn't quite right when I said that the worst days of our lives tend to happen on days when everything just crashes around you all at once._

 _What many people (like me) often forget is that sometimes, it's our own fault and that sometimes we make things crash around ourselves._

 _Had I known what would transpire that day and in the years afterwards, I probably would've been more understanding of Mordo's position, and might not have said those horrible hurtful things._

 _However, what's done is done, and I can't go and take it all back, though I dearly wish I could._

 _I was just so absorbed with getting pay back for being hurt that I forgot to be considerate of others, and instead retreated to my old routine. A routine in which I am sorry to say, I was the only one I trusted to look after myself, even if I knew there were people around me that wanted to help._

 _It had worked well during my life on the streets._

 _But during my life as a sorcerer it has proven time and time again to be more hazardous than good._

 _Too bad I had to learn that the hard way…when it was too late…_

* * *

 **and there it is, chapter 14.**

 **Yeah so sadly there was no Christine meets Via, but don't worry that will definitely happen later on ;). Next chapter you can be sure of seeing more Stephen and Christine (which should be fun as i've not written for her character yet). I also thought the Mordo/Via dynamic had been a bit neglected so i wanted to give it some more love and attention :)**

 **So yeah...It took me a while to think about what Brynja's power would be. then i looked back on a couple of notes i had made for a previous Avengers fic i had abandoned and realized that the name Brynja means "Armour" whilst Asmund means "sword/weapon" in old scandanavian. so i figured having powers to match their names would be fitting.**

 **i admit it was difficult making up powers that DIDN'T make Via an invincible mary sue, (Let's face it we all want our OC's to be kickass invincible badasses). Also the dragon power trope is very commonly used in fantasy stories. But then i remembered a very interesting thing one of my old english teachers once told me about making a character. They said:**

 _"For every good trait about the character, make one fault to match it. The more faults a character has, the more interesting and human they become"_

 **I guess that's why i finally decided to give our young OC heroine her great kryptonite, Not being able to swim.** (However personally i think her pride and lack of mouth to brain filter both come in at close seconds in terms of faults.). **But in all seriousness** **I figured since she didn't have much in the way of education and resources as a kid she wouldn't have ever learned to swim, nor needed to know how to as she spent all her time on dry land.**

 **anyways enough of my ranting, i hope you enjoyed reading this chapter and please r** **eview if you want more, your reviews inspire me :)**

 **Happy Reading,**

 **Fuzzybeta**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: Ancient Secrets**

Christine Palmer had seen some pretty bizarre things in her time as a doctor.

But nothing could've prepared her for seeing her ex-colleague/lover Stephen Strange suddenly stumbling into the hallways of the hospital wearing strange blue monk-like clothing, sporting a beard and bleeding from a stab wound in his guts.

Nor had she been prepared to see his spirit or "astral form" as he put it so flippantly, pop out and begin helping her perform impromptu surgery on his own body, before vanishing again to crash around the room invisible like a poltergeist.

Needless to say, she was well within her rights to freak out when after two huge rounds of shocking his heart with the electro cardioversion he suddenly lurched upwards with a loud cry.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" she screeched.

"Sorry…Sorry…" Stephen panted as he slumped back onto the operating table.

"Oh god-oh god. Are you okay" she whispered her usually mellow voice unnaturally high and squeaky in her shock.

"Yeah…" Stephen murmured as he heaved a deep sigh that reverberated throughout his entire body, which felt as heavy as an anchor on the bottom of the ocean floor.

"Okay…okay…just give me a sec" Christine gulped down hard on her nerves as she caught sight of the still bleeding wound over his heart.

No. She could panic and freak out later, right now she needed to be a doctor.

With deep shuddering breaths she calmed herself down as she pulled back all her sterile equipment to her side and began to clean and stitch the injury.

She'd never seen anything like it.

On the surface, it looked like it was a very clean stab, but up close she could smell and see something burnt, like whatever had been used had been on fire.

She heard a sharp hiss of breath and quickly turned to see Stephen wincing a little, though he kept himself impressively still, his gritted jaw the only sign of his discomfort.

"Sorry" She muttered but he just waved her off with a tilt of his scarred hands by his sides.

There was silence as she continued to thread the needle through his skin, trying hard not to think about how the blood was staining his clothes, which she couldn't help but notice, not the kind he used to wear even all those months ago.

In fact, now that she thought about it, Stephen had always laughed at the idea of wearing anything other than his doctor's scrubs or his suits. To see him dressed like he was stepping out of some bizarre martial arts convention was almost beyond unnerving.

"After all this time, you just show up here…" She said aloud as she brought her focus back to his wound, which thankfully was coming together nicely with each stitch. "Flying out of your body?"

"I know. I missed you too by the way" Stephen snorted with his usual smirk, but Christine heard the genuine emotion. It was just slight but it was still there, as if he was not sure of how to show it.

Just as she was unsure of how to act next.

"Ha-ha" she muttered under her breath, missing the way his eyes suddenly looked down to the floor.

"I wrote you emails but you never responded" he said softly, feeling a stab of guilt as he saw a flicker of hurt flash over her face for a moment as she said:

"Why would I?"

 _I guess I deserved that_

Stephen sighed heavily as he turned his face back up to the ceiling, briefly catching sight of her face which was tense from holding back a wave of emotion that was clearly threatening to overpower her.

"Christine I am so-so sorry. I-I was a complete asshole and I treated you so horribly and you deserved so much more-"

"Stop." She broke out over him, gulping down hard on a lump in her throat, shaking out her head slightly to clear it as she carefully worked on aligning her next stitch. "You're clearly still in shock"

Stephen chuckled. Yes, he was in shock. But not in the medical way. Truth be told he was impressed at how well she had been handling the whole situation. But then again, she had always been a far stronger person than anyone, even he, had given her credit for.

Which is why he couldn't find it in himself to mock her shakiness as she sucked in a deep breath.

"I mean what the hell is happening? Where have you been?"

 _Now wasn't that just a loaded question_

Stephen rolled his eyes to himself as he mulled over what to say.

She'd already seen so much…but how much more could she take?

 _I guess I won't know till I see…_

"Well…" he chewed his lips as he carefully poked his brain for an answer "After western medicine failed me I headed east and I ended up in Katmandu."

"Katmandu?" Christine frowned.

"Katmandu" Stephen nodded and was amused as he saw his ex-colleague give him a very familiar, and very endearing narrowing of her eyes.

"Like the Bob Zinger song?"

"Um-hmm…" he murmured and then before she could stop him he added "the nineteen seventy five, Beautiful Loser, Side A. Yeah. Then I went to a place called Kamar-Taj and I talked to someone named the _Ancient One_ and-"

"Oh, so you joined a cult" Christine rolled her eyes, shaking her head slightly as he tried to deny her words.

"No-no well…not exactly no. I mean, they did teach me to tap into powers I never even knew existed-"

"Yeah that sounds like a cult-"

"It's _not_ a cult"

"Well that's what a cultist would say" Christine smirked and before he could stop himself Stephen blurted out:

"God, you sound just like Olivia."

"Like who? Wait Stephen-wait!" Christine tried to push him back down as suddenly he lurched upwards. "Wait what do you think you're doing?"

"I'm late for a cult meeting" He said and with one massive push he managed to heave himself up to sit, swinging his legs over the side of the bed.

Christine opened her mouth, about to yell at him, only to recognize the look on his face. It was one she'd seen all too often from him, a look that said that he wasn't about to back down from his task any time soon.

"Alright come on" She hissed as she quickly dashed around the table and to his side, quickly looping an arm around her shoulder.

 _God…was he always this heavy?_

She grunted to herself as she aided him to stand up, supporting half his weight.

Then she saw his half open tunic, and the muscles that lay beneath.

 _Well…those certainly weren't there last I checked…_

She quickly turned away as she accidentally caught his amused eye.

"Sorry" he smirked, quickly pulling his tunic back together, though his voice did not sound very apologetic at all.

 _And there's the smug bastard I know_

"Come on" She hissed as she helped him take the first step. "So…who is this Olivia? Your new cult girlfriend?"

She didn't mean to sound very bitter or so catty, but that was to be expected. After all she was tired and confused and carrying half the muscled form of an injured man who promptly burst out in a fit of chuckles as he and her both hobbled towards the door.

"Girlfriend? No-just-just-No…she's just my roommate"

"Your roommate?" Christine scowled disbelievingly and Stephen rolled his eyes.

"Yes…and before you ask, no I'm not sleeping with her. Nor do I want to" he added with a small shudder.

"Why what's wrong with her?" Christine snorted only to be taken aback as she met his quirked brow.

"She's fourteen."

"Uh-huh! And I'm Santa Clause"

"No, I'm really not joking Christine, she really is just a teenager. Albeit a loud, blunt and incredibly feisty one." He added in an undertone.

Christine just stared at him, as if he'd sprouted ten horns from the top of his head

"You mean to tell me…" she said after a pause. "that you, Mister _I-hate-dealing-with-children_ , are currently living with a fourteen-year-old teenager in a weird mystic cult?"

"It's not really a cult, but I suppose if you want the simple explanation, then yes. Yes, I am" Stephen nodded, holding back the urge to laugh as Christine continued to stare in shock at him.

"You're shitting me, aren't you? No offence but I can't imagine any parent being comfortable with letting a fully grown male stranger live with their-"

"She's an orphan" Stephen steamrolled over the top of her wincing as they finally stepped over the threshold of the operating theater door. "And she's actually not half bad. A bit rough around the edges but a good kid, overall"

Christine however just stared aghast at him.

Weird clothes, strange ghostly powers, bizarre stab wounds from objects she had no ideas about. That she could understand…somewhat. But Stephen Strange openly admitting that he got along well with a kid?!

 _Who the hell are you and what have you done to Stephen Strange?!_

"This is insane" She said, more to herself than to anyone else.

"Yeah" Stephen agreed as he felt his strength return to him with every step.

"Where are you going?"

"Umm?"

"Can you tell me the truth?" Christine asked as he quickly straightened up and steered her back towards the spot he had summoned an earlier portal. Hopefully it would still be there, he really was hoping he'd be able to hold out on doing any magic before at least gaining his proper footing.

"Well" he sighed again trying to ignore the streak of blood he could feel trickling down over his eye from a small cut on his forehead. "A powerful sorcerer, who gave himself to an ancient entity that can bend the very laws of physics, tried very hard to kill me but I left him chained in Greenwich Village, and the quickest way to get back there is through a dimensional gateway that I opened up in the mop closet"

"Okay. Fine don't tell me" Christine grunted as she quickly but safely prized his arm from its comfortable position around her shoulders.

Stephen smirked he carefully pressed his weight to open the door to said mop closet.

 _No f-ing way…_

Stephen almost laughed at the wide-eyed amazement flash over Christine Palmer's eyes as she watched the burning portal of sparks spin and crackle round and round before her eyes, a wooden corridor just visible on its other side.

"I really do have to go" he smirked as with a small hop, he stepped through the portal and waved his arms shut behind him…leaving a stunned Doctor Christine Palmer behind to squeak in fright as the portal shut and a dirty mop suddenly fall to the floor with a loud crash.

* * *

"Olivia your parents wouldn't want-"

"I'll never know what my parents wanted because thanks to Fabian Russo I've never spoken to either of them. And you're not my father so I don't see why I should obey your orders. I'm going to fight! End of story."

The Ancient One shut her eyes sadly as the young form of Olivia "Via" Summers and shoved a very upset Master Karl Mordo away to pick up her golden weapon from the ground and stalk off.

She had expected the girl to be stubborn in the face of danger and she had expected Mordo to be hurt by her bluntness. But it seemed the Sorcerer Supreme had not been expecting such a strong reaction from her best warrior.

She had always known that Mordo had been fond of the girl. Olivia Summers was perhaps one of his best students. A fast learner and a hard worker who never took her teachings for granted, like so many her peers her age so often did.

But what was perhaps the girl's most endearing quality, at least to the Anceint One, was her blunt honesty. Though crude and rough around the edges, it was oddly charming and refreshing once you got over the shock.

And boy had she surprised the Ancient One in recent months.

The first surprise had been seeing her at all in that dingy New York alleyway.

The Ancient One had always known Kaesilius would eventually seek Fala out in her little lair, and had warned the old woman to be ready to fight or to hide the Web of Asibikaashi before he arrived.

But then she had felt the shift in power through the multiverse as the ancient relic had been passed onto a new bearer. One that was strong and both unfamiliar and familiar at the same time.

It was rare that the Ancient One's curiosity got so peaked and so without further ado she had left the sanctity of Kamar-Taj to seek this new bearer out.

She had prepared herself to see another sorcerer fighting against Kaesilius, strong and trained and possibly dangerous.

What she had seen instead was a frightened street child with golden hair and the face of the lost master, Freyja Sorenson.

Oh yes. The Ancient One had known from the very first second who Olivia Summers truly was, even if the girl didn't know it herself.

 _A chip of the Sorenson block._

The Ancient One sighed as after speaking a few words of comfort to him, she slowly followed Mordo as he dashed after his favorite pupil.

She was relieved when she heard the young girl's yell:

"Stephen!"

And the Ancient One was greatly amused when she finally rounded a corner only to catch sight of Via clinging on in a tight hug to a very battered, very emotionally drained Doctor Stephen Strange.

* * *

 _Before I had come to Kamar Taj I had very few people I had ever cared for in my life. Literally the amount of strong relationships I had could be counted on less than one hand. No scratch that, make it less than three fingers._

 _True I had cared for the smaller babes at the orphanage, but they were quick to learn that being near me meant trouble and were even swifter to leave me alone when they were old enough to think for themselves._

 _Over the years there had only been four people who had shown an interest in adopting me._

 _The first two came along when I was five. They were a young couple who wanted a child of their own but so far hadn't been able to conceive so they decided to be good Samaritans and give a child a home. The paper work had just been sent to them when the woman suddenly sent word that she'd fallen pregnant. With that new development, my adoption was dropped super-fast and there was not another word from those people. So much for being good Samaritans._

 _The second near miss happened when I had just turned twelve. A single man, some government worker who had seen me at the orphanage while he was making his rounds. Apparently, he liked the spunk I showed Billy. A meeting had been set, but then the Battle of New York happened and somewhere in the chaos the man had died._

 _The fourth and last man…he was the reason I left that orphanage altogether. Not because he took me…but because I didn't want to go with him. Though he looked all shiny and nice there was something about him that felt - I can't really explain it - pure evil. I just took one look into his eyes and I knew I was doomed if I followed wherever he led._

 _And Billy was going to hand me right over to him without even blinking his eyes. It was then I knew I had to leave if I wanted to survive. In hindsight it was one of the best decisions I ever made in my life._

 _It was at Kamar Taj I had learned what it meant to have friends…to have home. Or at least a place where I could rest my head without having to worry about being safe._

 _And then in one day I almost lost it all._

 _You can only imagine my relief when I saw Stephen walk up those stairs again so soon after seeing him being literally stabbed through the heart._

 _But that relief, only made the other hurt all the more potent…and not just for me…_

* * *

When Via had first hugged him before Kaesilius, Stephen had not known what to do. She'd never hugged him; their biggest form of physical contact had always been him carrying her to the infirmary or to bed whenever she'd fallen asleep at her desk in the middle of the night. Rarely did she ever initiate any such open display of affection.

But now here she was doing so for the second time within the hour, hugging him tight and hard and clinging on as if she was never going to let him go. It was, oddly, quite a nice experience.

"Hey" He muttered allowing himself to return her warmth by wrapping one arm around the girl's shoulder while the other patted her head awkwardly.

"You're soaking wet" he blinked as he noticed the damp gold locks under his finger tips

"Well spotted Doctor Obvious" she coughed blushing deep red with embarrassment as she pulled herself away. "They…tried to drown me in one of them boxes. But I'm okay."

Stephen's face paled as she jerked her thumb back towards the large display cases behind them.

"Olivia I'm so sorry. I should've-"

"Not started blaming yourself" Via quirked a brow at him as she swept a damp blond curl from her forehead "Relax Doc I'm fine now. Besides, if there's anyone to blame it's that slimy skeletal stinking son of a-"

"Strange!" a voice called.

"That works too" Via shrugged as she and Stephen quickly turned to face Mordo who had just entered the room, looking just as relieved as Via felt.

"You're okay" the master sorcerer sighed with relief.

"A relative term but yeah…yeah I'm okay" Stephen muttered his hand dropping from where it had been resting on Via's shoulder.

As he did something rustled from his back. Via quickly looked towards the source of the noise and snorted in surprise as she noticed a thick large red cloak draped over her roommate's shoulders.

"The Cloak of Levitation" Mordo breathed pointing to the strange garment in awe. "It came to you…"

"No minor feat. It's a fickle thing"

All three sorcerers young and old turned to see the Ancient One carefully stride in, a small smile gracing her lips as she caught sight of both the cloak and the strange mystical eye that sat gently over the doctor's chest.

But Stephen did not notice her stare. He only had eyes for the abandoned and very empty mystical bindings that lay discarded on the floor in the light of the large circular window.

"He escaped"

"Kaesilius?" The Ancient One quirked a brow to Via who glanced down ashamedly to the ground.

"He left right when Fabian Russo tried to drown me. He and his zealots took Cassian with him"

"Wait what? Who's Fabian Russo? And what do you mean Kaesilius took Cassian?" Stephen looked shocked at Via only to notice to his shock that her eyes, though angry, were over bright and threatening to spill over.

"Yeah…Cassian uh…he's been helping to spy at Kamar Taj for Kaesilius, along with his father Fabian Russo."

"He what?!" both Mordo Stephen cried out loudly.

Via nodded timidly.

"Both seem to be fighting for the same cause. They both want to destroy the Sanctum Sanctorum's. They've already decimated London. And they're currently trying to destroy us here. But that's not the worst bit."

"Not the worst bit?" Stephen scoffed and Via glared at him.

"Their powers Stephen remember. In the corridor before we got separated the first time-"

"Oh, right that…" Stephen's face fell into a scowl.

"Powers? What powers?" Mordo stepped forwards worriedly.

"Kaesilius can fold space at matter at will" Stephen explained.

"He folds matter outside the mirror dimension? In the real world?"

The Ancient One's face was now the color of parchment.

"Yeah" Stephen and Via both nodded.

"How many more?" The Ancient One tried pushing down her fear but Via could hear the slight waver in her tones.

"Two, Via stranded one in the desert."

"And the other?"

"His body is in the hall"

"And these were the only two?" Mordo asked.

Via shook her head.

"No, I saw at least four more standing in the front hall when I came back from the desert…along with…with…"

Via gulped down on the hard lump that had appeared in her throat. She was relieved to hear Stephen finish her sentence in his clinical and clean doctor's bedside manner.

"Master Drumm's body, is in the foyer."

"We shall take his body back to Kamar Taj" Mordo said gently, shutting his eyes for a moment.

"The London Sanctum has all but fallen." The Ancient One paced slowly towards Stephen and Via her tone careful and measured "Only New York and Hong Kong remain now to seal us from the Dark Dimension. You defended the New York Sanctum from attack. With it's master gone it needs another, _Master_ Strange"

It was just a split second, a hairs breath. But Via could already tell that something in Stephen's head just snapped as the term Master slipped from the Ancient One's mouth.

Quickly she put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing the muscle underneath and shooting him a warning look.

"No" he muttered quickly grabbing her hand and pulling it gently off him. He wasn't angry, at least not angry at her.

"No" he repeated softly to her and she quickly pulled back her hand as he turned his attention towards the Ancient One.

"It is _Doctor Strange."_ He hissed as he stalked towards the sorcerer supreme, his voice rising with every step "Not Master Strange, not Mister Strange. _Doctor_ Strange. And when I became a doctor I swore an oath to do no harm and I have just _killed_ a man. No I am not doing that again! I became a doctor to _save_ lives not end them"

"You became a doctor to save one life above all others…your own" the Ancient One said, her voice infuriatingly calm.

"Still seeing through me, are you?" Stephen snorted scornfully, but his mentor remained unfazed.

"I see in you what I've always seen. Your over inflated ego. You want to go back to the delusion that you can control anything…even death…which no one can control. Not even the great _Doctor_ Stephen Strange"

"Not even Dormammu?" Stephen narrowed his eyes.

Via watched, her heart beginning to race as she saw the Ancient One's face grow tense as Stephen said:

"He offers immortality"

"Stephen wait. Now's not the time." Via hissed, feeling even more uncomfortable as she caught sight of Mordo's confusion from the corner of her eye.

But neither Stephen or the Ancient One seemed to hear her, the latter speaking through a tense jaw.

"It is our fear of Death that gives Dormammu life. He feeds of it-"

"Like you feed off him?" Stephen murmured as he stepped within the Ancient One's personal bubble. "You talk to me about controlling death but I know how you do it. I've seen the missing rituals from the Book of Cagliostro"

"Measure your next words very carefully Doctor" The Ancient One almost whispered, her voice a threatening hiss.

"Because you might not like them" Stephen smirked mockingly in her face, much to her displeasure.

"Because you might not know of what you speak"

Stephen opened his mouth, prepared with a retort, only to pause as Via walked to step between him and the Ancient One, her hand resting on his chest in a stopping motion.

"You're taking her side?" He looked down at her, surprise and betrayal in his gaze.

"No, but arguing isn't the answer. I agree what she did was wrong but it's not worth us dividing our own forces and making our enemy's job easier." Via said her clawed hand carefully pushing him back to stand at a respectable distance much to his chagrin…and to his begrudging admiration.

"What are you both talking about?" Mordo murmured as he stepped closer.

"I'm talking about the source of her immortality" Stephen responded before Via could even stop him, his eyes locked on the Ancient One who stood behind her. "She draws power from the Dark Dimension to stay alive"

"That's not true" Mordo smirked disbelievingly, but as his eyes darted to Via's pale face, his smile fell slightly.

"I've seen the rituals worked them out" Stephen whispered, "I know how you do it"

The Ancient One quickly averted her gaze, much to Via's surprise. She'd never seen the Ancient One look so ashamed, at least openly ashamed. She couldn't even bare to meet Mordo's beseeching gaze as she turned away, muttering quietly to the room at large.

"Once they regroup. The Zealots will be back. You'll need reinforcements. Olivia come with me I need to talk to you before I leave."

Via didn't move, she just stared at the Ancient One's back as it stopped by the room door.

"Olivia! A word now"

"I guess I gotta-" Via turned back to Stephen who nodded quickly.

"Go" he whispered and Via was relieved to hear him sounding less angry and more worried.

She quickly made to follow the Ancient One, being careful to jump around the glass that was smashed over most of the floor. As soon as they were far away from Stephen and Mordo, the Ancient One said softly.

"Olivia I do believe you have officially earned the right to say _I told you so_ "

"I probably would've said it anyway, even if I hadn't _earned_ it" Via snorted as she caught up to walk beside the ancient master. "But that's not what worries you right now is it?"

"No. It's not." The Ancient One smiled softly as she looked sidelong at her young acolyte.

"For what it's worth I truly am sorry for not confiding my suspicions about your mother. The truth is I was worried that for some reason I might have been wrong in my assumption, and that I might have given you false hope-"

"Yeah well it wouldn't be the first time" Via muttered under her breath.

The Ancient One's eyes fell again, her hands folding behind her back.

"Freyja was one of the best Masters I ever trained at Kamar Taj. Brilliant, bright, kind hearted if a little proud sometimes. At one point I even thought she could be my successor. Then she and Fabian Russo fell out with one another whilst on that horrible mission to Scandinavia and she went into hiding. I never knew you had existed till the day I first saw you running from Kaesilius in the streets"

"You knew who I was from the first moment?"

"In a way. I had my suspicions, but I did not have any hard evidence to prove them so I decided to stay silent until I could. But even as I did that and watched you grow, the signs began to show clearer. Your aptitude for the mystic arts, your strength as a warrior…it soon became clear to both me and the other masters that you were _born_ for the life of a sorcerer. It wasn't until you opened the door to Freyja's room that I could confirm the truth"

"Right…I see" Via pursed her lips, but couldn't contain herself any longer. "Listen, I'm glad you're telling me more about my mom but I can tell that something's really wrong, and it's not just because of Kaesilius or Russo. So, can we please just cut to the chase and can you just tell me what the hell you want to say before everything all goes to hell?"

The Ancient One stopped in her tracks and inhaled deeply, a deep shuddering breath to steady herself. As she exhaled and opened her eyes, Via thought she saw a hint of sadness amidst the faint amusement and thoughtfulness.

"I wanted to speak to you now because…because this may be the last conversation we shall ever have"

"Pardon?" Via blinked.

The Ancient One turned to look down on her, her face sad but kindly and patient at the same time.

"One of the many gifts I've acquired through my long life is the gift of foresight. For many years, I have used this power to help me and the other Sorcerers of Kamar Taj prepare for great conflicts or changes in history that had yet to come. However-"

"You didn't see Kaesilius or any of this crap that is happening today?" Via finished softly.

"On the contrary I saw a lot of the events of today. Though I did not see who exactly was responsible for them." The Ancient One corrected her gently "You see Olivia. The gift of foresight is a strange one. The future is always so tangible and unpredictable that one can only see the possibilities of what can happen, and not necessarily what will happen. Unless it is a definite set in stone…"

"What do you mean? Are you seeing only one outcome for the fight ahead or something?" Via gulped, not quite liking the way her stomach churned, as it always did whenever she had a very bad feeling about something. A feeling which only heightened as the Ancient One shook her head.

"Yes…but not for you."

"O…kay…then what about Stephen or Mordo? And all of Kamar Taj" Via frowned.

"No there are still possibilities for them all as well…if they can stay strong and unite in the face of this peril" The Ancient One's eyes darted down to the ground.

Via felt her heart sink as horrible realization seemed to hit her metaphorically across the face.

"No…but you-you're immortal-" She spluttered her hand clapping over her mouth.

"Immortal yes, but not invincible" The Ancient One murmured her gaze sympathetic as she saw Via's wide horrified eyes.

"No-but-but how can you be sure? Maybe…maybe your visions are not showing you everything. Maybe you do live but you just can't see how and-"

"Your compassion is heartwarming Olivia. But you need not fret. I have already accepted my fate, long ago. Indeed, in many ways I welcome it." The Ancient One looked up and around the room they had stopped in "I have been alive for so long. And whilst my body may feel young and energetic, my spirit grows ever wearier with each passing year. I only held on for more time because I was afraid there would be no one strong enough to pass on my responsibilities to as a worthy heir. But now…I am no longer afraid."

"You found someone then?" Via tried swallowing down hard to get rid of the lump that was lodged firmly in her throat. It had reappeared so often today that she was sure it would eventually end up sticking in its spot like a nodule.

"Yes…and you helped me decide to pick him"

"I did? Since when?" Via leaned back in surprise.

"Since the day, you agreed to share your room with him all those months ago" The Ancient One said, her patience hardening to a small stern frown as Vis spluttered in shock.

"Wha-Stephen but-"

"Yes." The Ancient One steamrolled over her smoothly.

"If there was one thing about you that I was truly certain of from the beginning, it was that I could trust your judgement like I so often did your mothers. And it is for that very reason I need you to make me a promise. Promise me that whatever happens you will never stop being honest and true to yourself and to those around you. Especially Doctor Stephen Strange. He is a good man, he might even become a great one. But even the greatest of us still need council from people we trust. And if he is to take my place as Sorcerer Supreme in the future, then it would ease my heart greatly knowing that he had the support of someone decent and honest to help him when time calls."

"But-but what about Mordo? Wouldn't he be better suited to something like this. I-I mean I don't know the first thing about being someone's advisor-"

"No but you do know Strange" The Ancient One smirked at the younger woman's faint blush "You know him through and through. Mordo could be a good advisor to him, for both are opposites with differing views. Yes, it could be beneficial to see things from another's perspective…but I fear they may be too opposite to work together…unless they had a neutral ground. And that is where you come in. You are not so lenient as Strange nor too rigid in your ways as Mordo. You see things from the outside, you see the big picture. You always have. It's the reason you survived so long on your own, and the reason you will make a powerful wise sorceress. Like your mother. Yes there will be times you will trip and make mistakes. You are still young after all…and only human."

"Yeah well, newsflash mam, so are you" Via muttered and the Ancient One allowed herself a small smirk which quickly vanished as she leant her head down to murmur.

"You have come a long way in such a short space of time Olivia. You were so scared the first time you came to Kamar Taj, but now you have grown strong in heart and mind as well as body. Your mother would be proud, just as much as I am. I want you to always remember that."

Via nodded, not quite sure she could speak as she bit down on her tongue to stop herself from blubbering, only to fail miserably.

"Listen…" she sucked in a deep shuddering breath "I know I've not been the best of kids…and I know we've had our differences…but…but do you really have to…to go?"

The last words came out as a small childish snivel, one which nearly broke the Ancient One's heart as she nodded sadly.

"I'm afraid I must. It is my time…and I need to face it. Just as you need to face your future."

The Sorcerer Supreme straightened up, swiftly wiping the corner of her eye as she coughed softly.

"I must go now. You should return to Strange. He'll need all the help he can get if he plans to fight both Russo and Kaesilius"

"Yeah…of course" Via nodded scrubbing at her face as she watched her Master take a step back and began summoning up a sling ring portal just as something crashed from down below.

"You should hurry to the front foyer" The Ancient One muttered as she quickly stepped through to the other side of the portal.

"I will." Via agreed, but not before chancing one last look for her mentor as the circular portal began to fizz slowly shut in front of her very eyes.

"Wait!" she called out at the last minute, startling the Ancient One "What's your name?"

For a split second the Ancient One looked faintly surprised…then her face split into a small smile.

"It's Neala. Though no one has called me by that name in centuries"

"Well that's about to change right now" Via choked as she tried to smile. "Thank you Neala…thank you for everything"

"No Olivia…it is I who should be thanking you…Goodbye…"

"Goodbye…" Via whispered, a tear falling as the portal shut in a flurry of sparks and amber energy, leaving her to stand all alone…

* * *

 _That was perhaps the first time in my life I had gotten to say goodbye to someone before they left my life forever. It was to date also one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. So much so, that I still can't tell if it was any better than just not knowing when someone had suddenly vanished on me._

 _However, if I thought that goodbye was hard…it was nothing compared to the heartache I was yet to experience._

 _But that heartache would have to wait until for the umpteenth time that day, I was forced back onto the battlefield to fight once more._

 _Only this time I wasn't alone…_

* * *

 **And that's where i leave you.**

 **Don't worry i'm just stopping it here for a moment. i was actually going to include the next big fight scene in this chapter, then i realized just how long the chapter already was and thought i'd break it down a little. don't worry next chapter is literally almost done and should be up very soon and is probably more exciting than this one (love writing action scenes and the mirror dimension just makes it all the more Fu-whoops spoiler alert!)**

 **Hope you enjoy and keep reviewing for more,**

 **-Fuzzy Beta**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: The First Goodbye**

The sight that met Via's eyes as she rushed down the stairs into the main hallway of the New York Sanctum Sanctorum was not a pretty one.

Kaesilius and his remaining Zealots were busy building another one of those orbs of mystic energy. The same kind, in fact, as the one he had used to destroy the London Sanctum.

 _Now where are you Russo?_

She scanned the room for signs of the dark sorcerer, but she only caught sight of Stephen and Mordo as they ran up from behind her to stand at her sides.

They spoke no words to her of greeting, their eyes too absorbed by the horrifying display of power before them.

"That spell is the same one they used to destroy the London Sanctum" She quickly muttered to Mordo who pulled out his weapon ready to fight.

"We have to end this, NOW!" he commanded loudly, and without further ado both he and Stephen jumped over the banister and into the fray.

Via hesitated, keeping her distance as she jumped onto the walls to avoid an attack from below.

These new Zealots were hardier and stronger looking than the last two and she wouldn't put it past the biggest of them, a tall man with big beefy arms, to be able to crush her skull with his bare hands.

That's when she noticed Asmund wasn't in her hands any more. Instead her golden right arm, had a twisting bracelet of gold entwined back around it.

 _Don't worry brat he is still there. He will return to you when you summon him again._

She heard the gentle voice of Brynja purr soothingly.

 _He better, I'm probably going to need him soon._

She frowned as she watched Mordo expertly strike a couple of Zealots away from the spell, but it still held strong with Kaesilius's concentration and-

"Strange! Get down here and fight!" Mordo's yell broke Via out of her thinking.

Quickly she turned her head to look at Stephen and saw to her astonishment that he was hovering in midair moving his hands subtly, his great big red cloak billowing behind him.

Had this been any other day, she might have laughed at the sight. But now all she could do was panic as she saw Kaesilius make to smash his spell down hard.

"NO!" she heard the yell, as two Zealots made to grab Mordo and Push him back ready to pierce him just as the ball of energy hit the floor.

There was a flash of bright light, followed very closely by a strong blue web like flash and the shimmering of a glass like substance that seemed to stretch all around them.

Via watched as the light from the remaining energy of the disappearing spells shimmered over the oddly shifting and refracting walls. She was forced to cling on tightly with her spider powers as the ripples of the aftershock slid up the wall and to her spot, which she quickly shifted from as soon as she got better footing.

"The Mirror Dimension" Stephen smirked from where he floated down to the stairs below. "You can't affect the real world in here. Who's laughing now _asshole_?"

"Don't get so cocky Doc" Via growled under her breath as Kaesilius's lip curled into a sneer.

"I am" and he raised his hands.

"Oh great not this again" If Via had thought the rippling walls had been hard to hold onto, it was nothing compared to the constantly shifting ones Kaesilius was now bending and ripping apart on the anatomical level.

Even the stairs were folding on themselves.

"Ah!" she cried out as her fingers were almost caught by the shifting wooden tiles and quickly jumped off her makeshift wall perch, using the banister below to propel herself to the door, where Stephen and a now free Mordo were quickly dashing.

As she followed them, Via could not help but notice that the Web of Asibikaashi was burning hot over the top of her blue coat, its energy rippling through her.

 _What are you up to now?_

She hissed to herself as they all paused to look back at the ever-shifting façade of the New York Sanctum Sanctorum.

"I-I mean I got his sling ring he can't escape, right?" Stephen held up a golden ring for both her and Mordo to see.

"Not unless his pupils have rings." Via answered but winced as Mordo yelled:

"RUN!"

Via had heard of de ja vu but never really experienced it so vividly as when she ran down the mirror dimension form of the earth.

The cars and people all moved as they normally would down the road, only her, her two companions and their enemies seemed to be nonexistent.

She wasn't even noticed by a cab driver as she jumped over his bonnet to avoid getting hit, the web of Asibikaashi glowing so brightly that its power leaked out from her hands. Now everywhere she touched she left a handprints of golden spider webs glimmering in the sunlight overhead wherever and whenever she made contact with anything.

After avoiding several collisions with cars and one motorcyclist, Via used her magnified jumping power to leap up, bounce against a building and land right next to Stephen as he paused in the middle of a paused intersection.

"Their connection to the dark dimension makes them more powerful in the mirror dimension" Mordo panted as he too finally managed to catch up. "they can't affect the real world but they can still kill us. This wasn't cleverness. It was suicide."

"It doesn't matter what it is. We're stuck here and we need to think of something." Via scowled as the three of them wheeled around to see Kaesilus and his zealots rushing up the streets towards them.

Quickly they began to run again, Stephen summoning up a sling ring portal a few meters in front of them, only for it to falter as the world around them began to tilt sideways.

"Whoa!" Via cried out as she smashed into Stephen from the side, bounced off him into Mordo and then landed face first into the side window of an old bus.

"Ow…" she winced as she Mordo and Stephen tried peeling themselves off the vehicle, barely noticing the old, slightly mad looking, man sitting inside the bus laughing at a book

"Ha-ha-ha! That is hilarious"

 _Glad to see someone's still having a good day_

Via rolled her eyes as she made to follow Stephen and Mordo up the side of a building.

With the web of Asabikaashi she had grown used to walking over walls and ceilings. And soon she was speeding ahead of both fully grown men dodging a spell that had been fired at her back.

"Via get back here!" Stephen yelled and she turned around to see him trying to summon another portal just in front of him.

With a low growl under her breath she slowed her pace only to stumble as the glass windows she was running on literally rippled like ocean waves.

Then suddenly, there was the horrible shriek of metal detaching from metal forcibly and Via looked up to see that the building was split in two, like the outer peel of a banana.

With a sickening jolt, she felt herself suddenly lurch backwards. The warped gravity of the mirror dimension totally messed with her head as she began to fall along with Stephen and Mordo, who quickly began righting themselves with their mystic cloak and boots respectively.

 _And I'm the one that's going to go splat like a pancake! Typical!_

Via shut her eyes as her hands shot up in a lousy attempt to reach at something.

She felt the burn of energy as the Web of Asibikaashi glowed brighter than ever. It glowed so bright that she could see the light through her closed eyelids.

Unable to bear it any longer she let her eyes slip open and gasped as she saw something like a thin golden cord shoot out from her hand.

The end of the mystical rope, shot forward like a bullet landing with a splat onto the side of the still peeling building, it's magic making it stick in an odd web like pattern which stretched as the rope stretched with her fall.

Without even pausing to think she twisted her hand around to grab the strange rope, which suddenly went taught under her grip and made her swing hard right over the side of…another building?

But Via didn't stop to look. There was something solid beneath her feet and it would have to do. She quickly let go of the rope which vanished into golden dust instantly, and let herself land catlike on the glass window beneath.

Just as she did so, both Stephen and Mordo landed, both rolling a little as they righted themselves. The three of them dashed to the edge of the building.

"Okay now I know I'm tripping" Via blinked, pinching her cheeks hard as she looked upon the sight revealed to her.

The entirety of New York City was twisting and folding in on itself like some crazy Escher lego set. Some building's were upside down, some roads had been bent so that cars drove up the side, then down another towards a direction that should have been down but wasn't.

Despite the terror and confusion, Via vaguely wondered if this was how astronauts felt whilst floating in zero gravity.

"This was a mistake" Stephen gulped beside her. She turned to look at him, quirking a brow along with a still anxious looking Mordo.

Then the ground lurched again.

This time it toppled them forwards and into a terrible free fall.

When she was younger, Via had always wanted to try skydiving. She had thought it would be fun, falling out of a plane and feeling what it would be like to fly like a bird. But as she fell through the mirror dimension down that very long drop, she quickly began to erase that item off her bucket list.

No…never again would she want to think about skydiving after this.

Especially when after a particularly long stretch of nothingness, a fire escape suddenly jumped out in front of them.

She, luckily managed to stick the landing albeit rather messily, as did Mordo one floor below, but Stephen overshot the mark as his cloak tried to land with Mordo and instead fell through a hole that had suddenly appeared in the metal.

"STEPHEN!" Via cried as the blur of blue and red vanished from sight.

WHAM!

Something hard hit her in the side and she reeled over to the side clutching at her cheek from which a pale fist had pulled away, before quickly snapping forwards again.

But this time she was ready.

The red garbed Zealot that had attacked her jumped back, eyes wide in alarm as the young girl's clawed armored hand grabbed his fist.

"Hands to yourself asshole!" She growled, a deep guttural animalistic sound that reverberated nastily all around her as she twisted her grip.

There was a sickening crunch and the Zealot screamed in pain. A sound that seemed to excite the voice of Asmund in her head.

 _Another fight?! Come on brat, summon me_. _Summon me quickly!_

"Asmund" Via hissed as she caught sight of another blur of red swiftly approaching her spot.

There was a glow of light as the golden staff appeared again in her hands, but this time she didn't strike.

Instead she began to run.

 _WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!_

Asmund roared.

"Shut up-shut-up-shut up!" Via hissed as she jumped from the stairs and onto what appeared to be a metal pylon, which then linked to a beam from a construction site.

"woah!" she cried out as something shifted beneath her feet and made her fall again. This time she landed hard on top of a large movers truck which quickly approached a great big drop.

Via jumped off the vehicle only narrowly avoiding getting hit by a passing car, whose driver didn't even bat an eye as a young teenager made to leap out of the way and off the side of the road.

With a calculated jump, she managed to latch onto a series of stone stairs, crawling up them on both her hands and feet, drawing upon all drops of energy the web of Asibikaashi could give her.

It was then she saw a figure in yellow sprint past her, chasing down someone in blue and red.

"Oh, no you don't!" she ran after Kaesilius, but already he was too far ahead and gaining on Stephen.

She could feel the web of Asibikaashi forcing energy towards her hands and without much thought she pushed her hand forwards and upwards to a pathway that was materializing above her head.

 _This better work._

She thought.

And it did. The second her hand had pushed out, another glowing golden web like rope, shot out from her palm hitting the underside of the pathway and sticking there in a web.

 _Here goes._

She jumped off her perch.

For a moment, she was afraid she would just fall again. Then she felt the tug.

She gripped hard at the strange magic line with both hands, allowing her body to swing upwards till it had swung around the edge of the pathway and straight back up into the air upside down

As she did, she saw to her horror, Kaesilius bending over someone, his hands stretched around their throat. Someone who was struggling with pale scarred hands.

Via's vision went red.

* * *

 _Yeah…my vision went red._

 _It may be a cliché, but seeing red really is not something to laugh about._

 _I was just so angry at Kaesilius for ripping my whole world apart around me, and terrified of losing someone I cared about that i…Well let's just say it was a good thing that Asmund didn't take control over me again like how he did with Mai._

 _If he had, I don't think I'd be alive, and if I was…I probably would've made things a hell of a lot worse..._

* * *

Via let go of her tether and landed on her feet on the railing, her eyes never leaving Kaesilius as she saw him let go of a very oxygen deprived doctor and summon his crystalline shard of a weapon to his hands

"So much for your bravery, _Doctor_ " he hissed softly and raised the weapon.

 _Whoosh! Schling!_

There was a light tinkling and a smashing of glass and Kaesilius's weapon was smashed in half, just as someone hit him squarely in his side.

He wheeled around, stunned as he beheld his new challenger who quickly rushed at him golden staff raised, her mouth open in a loud snarling roar.

He met the blow with the remaining half of his weapon, his surprise changing to a sneer, that couldn't quite hide the small gleam of admiration.

"You fight with much fierceness young one. Mordo has trained you well" he muttered. "and yet you would waste it on protecting this sorry dreg"

"Maybe, but he's my sorry dreg. So back off or else-"

"You'll kill me? How cute. How very like your mother" Kaesilius snorted shoving her back with his ruined weapon "Let's see if the Sorenson blood is as strong in you as it was in her"

He charged forwards, his blow landing heavily on Asmund's staff, which sung as it all but slammed into his and his master's enemy's broken blade.

Behind the battle hungry madman, Stephen getting gingerly up, nursing his half-constricted throat.

He stared as he watched Via meet Kaesilius's blows, blocking each one expertly.

It was one thing to see her in training. It was another thing to see her in action. Stephen had no idea what had happened to the young frightened girl he'd last seen running beside him through the mirror dimension. Now there in her place was a strong fighter. Her style was that of one who was trained well technically, but it still held the overtones of a scrappy ferocious little beast who wasn't afraid to fight dirty.

After one particularly hard strike, Kaesilius had forced Via to turn her back on him for one moment. However instead of striking her down with a stab, he instead chose to bring her head into a tough headlock. It might've worked had Via not bitten down hard onto his bare hand.

"Argh!" Kaesilius growled as her teeth punctured his skin, leaving a bleeding red ring over one half of his hand, which he then brought down on her in a hard slap, amplified by the blue glow that had engulfed his hand.

She fell to the floor, spitting out the blood in her mouth as she rolled over onto her back, Kaesilius's shadow fell over her.

"I guess I was wrong…you aren't at all like your mother. She was a good fighter and would never have succumbed to such savagery in a fight" he hissed shaking out his bleeding hand.

"Yeah. She wouldn't" Via sat up gingerly, rubbing her cheek which was already turning a magnificent shade of blue black. "But I'm not my mother."

"Then I will have no issues with killing you" Kaesilius raised his weapon.

"And what of Russo? He wants me alive." Via narrowed her eyes.

"All Russo wants is revenge on the dead, he can have it when I give him your corpse. Right now, I care not who your mother is, you are a hindrance. And hindrances need to be snuffed out."

"I couldn't agree more" a voice said from behind him.

Kaesilius turned only to stumble backwards as a fist slammed into the side of his face.

Via stared amazed as Stephen Strange straightened up summoning a whip of amber energy.

"Via get behind me" he commanded as he made to swing the energy.

Via obeyed instantly, her body using the web of Asibikaashi's powers to flip herself over Kaesilius's head and onto Stephen's side only just in time.

In the middle of her flip, Kaesilius had summoned back to his hand a new crystalline spear to his hand and lunged forwards to strike, only to stagger backwards as the ground beneath him began to shift.

"Whoa" Stephen and Via both grabbed each other's arms to steady each other as the ground they were standing on suddenly began to glide away from Kaesilius and straight towards Mordo who caught Via as she almost stumbled into him

As they did so fragments of other pieces of stone, concrete, glass and tile began to rise from beneath them and began arranging itself in a strange mosaic like floor. Meanwhile around them, stone and brick began to multiply and split and fuse, like the strange travesty of a kaleidoscope image that spun and unfurled gently behind their backs.

And amid all the strangely ordered chaos, a bald woman in a golden robe suddenly appeared two glowing fans held tight in her hands…and a glowing red scar like mark stark against her pale forehead.

 _I had to give the woman credit. She never once did falter from her purpose, nor did she let Kaesilius see how much him exposing her and decimating all the trust from her underlings affected her._

 _That still didn't change the fact that this was perhaps the worst thing I had ever seen so far._

 _Not because I knew her secret was finally out…but because I knew in that moment just what would happen, and I had no clue, nor any way to stop it._

Kaesilius turned to face the Ancient One, his eyes blazing hotly as he took in her full form, the brand of Dormammu glaring out to him from across the stone ring that she had summoned. And expanded with a flick of her wrist.

At once Via, Mordo and Stephen all were forced backwards towards the edges of the ring.

"No-Stop you can't do this!" Via called out to the Ancient One who gave Stephen a warning look.

At once he quickly grabbed onto Via holding her back.

Mordo however just stared at her, aghast as he beheld the mark upon her brow.

"So, it's true…She does draw power from the Dark Dimension. His voice was breathless, as if he'd just been punched in the gut

For a split moment, Via caught sight of the pain and hurt flash over the Ancient One's eyes. Then it was gone in an instant as she turned to face their enemy.

"Kaesilius…"

Kaesilius's glare hardened as he began to circle around, the Ancient One matching his footsteps as she too kept her eyes trained on him.

"I came to you-" Kaesilius began softly "-broken, lost, in need. Trusted you to be my teacher and you fed me lies"

"I tried to protect you" the Ancient One said sadly.

"From the truth?" Kaesilius's eyes narrowed but the Ancient One shook her head.

"From yourself"

"I have a new teacher now" Kaesilius smirked derisively.

"Dormammu deceives you. You have no idea what he truly is. His eternal life is not paradise but torment"

"Liar" Kaesilius hissed, as two of his red clothed zealots suddenly jumped down to join him, both carrying their glass like spears in hand, so like their leader's which he quickly summoned to himself.

"Stephen let me go!" Via struggled wildly but Stephen would not budge from the hold he had her locked in.

"No Via. She can handle it-" he hissed but Via could feel her heart sinking already.

No…no she wouldn't handle it…she had told Via herself that this was to be her last stand, and the more the young girl watched of the scene unfolding, the more she was certain that this was the moment it would happen.

She could almost taste it in the air.

Her eyes pricked with tears as she watched the fight unfold before her.

The Ancient One moved gracefully, her movements smooth and swift, catching each and every one of her enemy's strikes.

She even managed to push down Kaesilius by controlling the matter in the Mirror dimension, making the ground ripple in waves that made the madman fall backwards.

"That's it" Kaesilius snarled under his breath, and Via saw him slip his fingers into something on his belt.

With a massive tug she wrenched herself away from Stephen.

"OLIVIA NO!" he cried out as she darted into the fray and straight into Kaesilius.

But he saw her coming, and with a small sneer, he slashed sideways at her.

"NO!" Brynja roared in pain inside her head, but Via couldn't really hear them anymore.

She fell back, her entire shoulder feeling oddly numb as shock over powered all her senses.

It was like when she had been in the explosion. All sound seemed muffled, the blood had rushed from her face. She felt dizzy, but at the same time was oddly acutely aware of things around her.

Especially the warm liquid something she felt oozing out of her shoulder as her body fell backwards…and her vision of the Ancient One's shocked face as Kaesilius stabbed at her stomach straight through one of his own Zealots guts.

 _No…no…_

She felt the tears leak from her eyes as she met the Ancient One's gaze. It was just as surprised as her own, and yet not.

She knew what had happened and she knew what would come to pass.

And so it was with shut eyes that the Ancient One let herself be tossed through a sling ring portal, just as Via fell unconscious in someone's outstretched arms.

"Via! VEE! Oh god what have I done?"

* * *

 _And there you have it…we're at the middle of the worst day of my life._

 _Too bad it doesn't take long for it to get any worse._

* * *

 ** _And there you have it. Chapter 16 is up and a go._**

 **So yeah I wrote this one to be apart of Chapter 15, but then it started to go over 10,000 words and anything over 8,000 is my limit so i decided to chop them both off to make them what they are now.**

 **So yeah, Via's story is not really that happy at the moment is it? Hopefully it all works out in the end.**

 **If you enjoyed please review. it really helps spark my imagination and motivation to continue writing.**

 **till next time**

 **Adios**

 **FuzzyBeta**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17: The Ties that Bind**

 _The worst day of my life was also one of the longest I had ever experienced._

 _So much had happened in the space of six hours, and all over so many places. From Tibet, New York, the Mirror Dimension and even Hong Kong…_

 _By the end of it all I was so tired I thought I would just die in my sleep._

 _And all through it I kept adding to my collection of scars. I'd already had a few rather nasty ones from my time at the orphanage and on the streets, most of them on my back where people wouldn't be able to see them easily (old Billy and Milly really knew how to keep their work hidden from prying eyes after all). Little did I know however, that once this day was up, I would have more scars then I could count and in more places than I expected…and I don't just mean the physical scars neither…_

* * *

The first thing Olivia Summers was aware of was the blackness before her vision, or rather lack of vision. Her eyes were still shut, and she could feel something like cloth wrapped around them.

Once she could discern texture, then could she feel the pain.

Her teeth gritted as with every passing moment of awakening her left shoulder throbbed harder and harder. She could feel blood threatening to push its way out of the wound, only to be stemmed by another scrunched up piece of cloth secured against it by some bindings.

 _Well that sure does feel horrible_

An elderly voice hummed inside the confines of her head.

"Fala" the word came out as a hoarse whisper, barely audible as it all but slipped from Via's dried chapped lips.

Though she couldn't see her, she could feel her elderly astral guardian smirking her knowing smirk as she said:

 _Don't worry, I've got something to help with that child._

Then Via felt something like energy shoot through her body. An energy that was both foreign and familiar.

 _Don't fight it. I will only take a moment._

Fala hushed as with a grunt of pain, Via felt her right hand creak upwards of its own volition and grab at the bindings of her injured shoulder.

At once she felt the slight sting of fresh air against the wound, her fingers ghosting over the roughly sewed stitches that barely held the pieces of her skin shut together.

 _That's it child take deep breaths. There's a good girl…_

The old voice of Fala soothed as Via whined. She couldn't help it, as soon as her energy charged palm had pressed over the wound it had unleashed a jolt of terrible pain straight through her.

Biting down on her lip so hard it was bleeding, Via forced herself to breathe through her nose, concentrating on letting the energy she couldn't see do its job.

At first she almost cried in agony as the energy burned a little at her skin, but then she was quick to still as she felt it quickly cool down and spread web like over and around her shoulder, soothing and relieving her of the pain till it was an uncomfortable but more bearable ache.

"Thanks" She whispered softly as with a sigh, she gingerly rolled over to her right side and carefully sat up.

As she did she reached for her blindfold, but when she tugged it off, her surroundings only remained pitch black.

For one horrible moment, she felt her heart stop and quickly she reached up for her eyes feeling for any scarring or injury.

Then she heard the scraping of feet on a stone floor and a door opened spilling in a sudden light which blinded her even though it had been rather dim.

"Thank Christ you're up." a familiar voice cried out, jolting her a little out of her half blinded daze.

"Cass" she sighed as she felt and then saw the young teen rush over to her and kneel beside her.

"When I saw Kaesilius strike you I thought you'd never open your eyes again." He laughed breathlessly as he swooped in to hold her tight only to frown as he caught sight of her binding.

"Your shoulder…"

"Dream-catcher" Via muttered weakly.

She knew she should feel angry towards him, but she was just too exhausted and relieved to see him alive to care anymore. And so, she let him hold her for a few moments, listening as he apologized frantically into the top of her head.

"I'm so sorry. This mess is all my fault. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I mean yes it was part of the plan in the beginning but then I got to know you and I really, really liked you and I didn't want…I didn't want to go through with it but my father…I also didn't want to lose him-"

"Too late Cassian" Via grunted into his neck, her tone cold and listless "You lost him nearly fifteen years ago when he decided to dedicate his life to revenge. And I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, but he's probably not going to come back any time soon."

"I know." Cassian admitted holding her close. "But he's still my dad"

"I know" Via nodded, leaning away to look him in the eye "But just because he's your dad doesn't mean he gets to dictate who you are. You are your own person, Cass. Just as I am not my mom"

"I wish I could've told you about her earlier" Cass looked down to the ground in shame "Crap you must really hate me now"

"No" Via scowled "Or at least I'm not sure whether I hate you or not. Let's get out of this first then I'll decide whether I'll despise you to the depths of your soul"

Cassian winced a little as with her right hand she made to slap his chest hard.

"But whether I hate you or not, if we get out of this alive I'm going to set Meeta on you, and boy am I going to enjoy watching her hunt you down and tear you apart like a three-headed dog" she growled.

Despite himself the corners of Cassian's lips curled upwards.

"I think that would be a fitting punishment… _"_

"Yes…but not for you my son" a deeper voice boomed.

Cassian and Via stiffened as they looked towards the door.

Fabian Russo was standing there, skeletal form in all its dark robed glory. His heavily scarred face sneered down at his son's whole and handsome one with disappointment and exasperation.

"I see you're still falling for the Sorenson brat's charms then my son?"

"Dad please understand I was only checking-"

"SILENCE!" Fabian barked before pointing out the door. "Leave us."

"But Dad-"

"I said _leave_ " Fabian hissed with all the venom of an angry serpent.

It was then that Via noticed the way his one good eye flashed with energy, just as the silver claws he wore over his hands glimmered faintly with mystic energy.

Cassian noticed these too, and gulped as with a quiet nod to his father he gently deposited Via back to lean against the wall before quietly leaving the room.

However, before he shut the door, he chanced on fearful look back into the room, his remorseful gaze never leaving Via's as he shut the door behind himself.

"So…turning the tables on my son and seducing him to get out? What a conniving little girl you are. Your mother would've been _so proud_ " Fabian clucked his tongue as he swaggered forwards towards Via who glared defiantly up at him.

"You never did say what happened to her" she muttered and Fabian Russo chuckled derisively.

"True, I didn't tell you everything. But then again even I don't know the whole story. All I know was that she disappeared off my radar nearly a year after she killed my wife. I know not of who your father was, or why your mother dropped you on the front doorstep of a dismal orphanage. I suppose if anyone was to know the answers it would be perhaps the Ancient One, but she is now dead as you have already seen…"

He paused, taking the moment to savor the angry tearful glower of his young enemy before continuing casually.

"But it is no matter. Once Dormammu has been summoned what transpired in the past will no longer be relevant. Besides what does it matter to you, you're dead any way and it's not like your _dear doctor_ or your precious _Master Mordo_ are going to come and rescue you."

The words stung in Via's chest but she kept her mouth shut as Fabian suddenly swooped in, a silver clawed hand suddenly gripping hard at her injured shoulder.

She cried out in pain as it squeezed at the mystical bindings, but thankfully the magic prevented the mad sorcerer from going any further…at least with that limb.

"Tch! Should've known…" he muttered and before Via could do anything else, his other hand grabbed hard at her other shoulder.

Despite her best efforts to grit her teeth, she couldn't help but yelp in agony as she felt his silver clawed thumb suddenly pierce straight through her blue jacket and straight into her skin. The pain was so bad that she almost fainted there and then, her shoulder all but burning as Fabian laughed, twisting his weapon vindictively inside his prey's flesh, carving it out in a strange twisted shape.

It took Via all she had to not black out as she tried gripping at the floor, doing everything she could to just keep breathing. Even though there was no water clogging up her lungs, she felt like she was drowning again, except this time she could feel everything around her in acute detail.

The thundering of her heart against her ribcage, the smell of blood and death on the man above her, her own frantic breaths mingling with his insane chuckles…the overwhelming touch of her sweat as it dribbled down her forehead…the cold metal buried inside her shoulder ripping apart muscle and scarring tendons…

And then suddenly he withdrew.

She sucked in a deep shuddering gasp, her head thudding back into the stony wall behind her, trying not to focus on the sudden warm oozing sensation from her bleeding shoulder.

"Still awake?" she faintly heard Fabian Russo above her head as he examined his red stained silver relic.

"Impressive…the Claws of Camazotz usually inflict so much suffering with each cut that their victims often fall unconscious or even die from the agony. Mmmm…delicious."

Via glared, shuddering a little as she watched the older sorcerer bring the bloody claws to his mouth and lick them hungrily.

"I've met a fair few sick bastards in my time" She breathed gulping down on her pain hard "But you just outdo them all…you…you…"

"Brilliant Sorcerer?" Fabian snorted as he swallowed down another small mouthful of blood.

"Asshole" Via snarled and was relieved to feel the rumble of Asmund and Brynja in the back of her head.

Fabian's smirk grew wider, but Via could see the dangerous spark ignite hotly in both his white and brown eyes as he stalked back over to her.

"You should know by now that your sharp tongue is but a privilege…one that I can take away quite easily?" he hissed venomously.

"Go ahead then. Take it" Via snapped, her body recoiling a little as he crouched over her again. But her eyes still flared, two orbs of blue fire that met the mad sorcerer's eye unflinchingly as she said:

"I can do this all day."

And with that she spat in his face.

* * *

The minute she felt the crystalline blade pierce straight through her, the Ancient One knew that her time was up. She'd had enough near-death experiences throughout her extended lifespan to know that this was to be the last of them.

What she had not been prepared for was the way both Olivia Summers and Stephen Strange refused to let her go. Well that wasn't quite true.

Whilst Olivia had tried to save her life in the mirror dimension, the Ancient One could sense that the girl herself had accepted the loss in the depths of her young heart.

The Doctor on the other hand, was having a harder time letting her go.

"What are you doing? You're dying!" he called after her as he chased her astral form through the still air of the hospital, which had halted to a true snail's pace even as she made to pause, hovering on the small balcony overlooking the city.

It was a wonderful view. The stormy winter night sky, flashing brightly with lightning and snow.

A sight that was certainly much better than that of the operating theater her body currently resided. No…how could she even think about letting such a cold and sterile horrific butchers shop be her last memory of this dimension she had loved.

The thought was enough to send small shivers down her spine as she looked over the impressive view remembering how, five hundred years ago, a little girl named Neala used to try and sneak out just to watch the first snowstorm of the season.

The Ancient One allowed herself a small sad smile. It had been a very long time since anyone had called her by her name, especially with such genuine affection. To hear it coming from someone whom she had wronged and kept in the dark for so long…

A small breeze ruffled the golden sleeve of her robe but she barely moved an inch even as her soon to be ex-student tried pleading with her.

"You have to return to your body now. You don't have time"

"Time is relative. Your body hasn't even hit the floor yet"

She looked up and watched on in awe as lightning flashed over the sky illuminating the city buildings and the water and the helicopter as it's many arms slowly leaked over the sky, cracks in the proverbial glass sky.

"I've spent so many years peering through time, looking at this exact moment." She murmured "But I can't see past it. I've prevented countless terrible futures. And after each one there's always another. And they all lead _here_ but never further"

"You think this is where you die" Stephen stated, feeling his heart sink as horrible realization set in.

However, the Ancient One was not phased as she said calmly.

"Do you want to know what I see in your future?"

"No…yes…" Stephen admitted, feeling his ears redden considerably as his mentor spared him a small smirk of amusement.

"I never saw your future. Only its possibilities. You have such a capacity for goodness, you always excelled. But not because you craved success, but of your fear of failure"

"It's what made me a great doctor" Stephen shrugged but the Ancient One shook her head.

It's precisely what kept you from greatness. Arrogance and fear still keep you from learning the simplest and most significant lesson of all"

"Which is?"

the Ancient One smiled. It wasn't an unkind smile, rather the patient smile of someone explaining that two-plus-two equaled four to a struggling child.

"It's not about _you_ "

It was as if a great big brick wall had been lifted from before his eyes, as Stephen stared at his teacher, his mentor.

Her face was calm and serene as she turned back to look out over the magnificent city view. How odd that after all this time he actually felt he could see her clearly, and no longer through the blurred lens of her deception.

"When you first came to me you asked me how I was able to _heal_ Jonathan Pangborn. I didn't. He channels dimensional energy directly into his own body"

"he uses magic to walk" Stephen frowned to himself in wonder.

"Constantly. He had a choice. To return to his old life or to serve something greater than himself"

"So I could have my hands back again…my old life…" Stephen breathed, hope dawning, but unlike before he felt a strange sting in his chest one that was only increased as the Ancient One said:

"You could, and the world would be all the lesser for it. I've hated drawing power from the Dark Dimension. But as you well know, sometimes one must break the rules in order to serve the greater good."

"Mordo won't see it that way" Stephen grunted as he noticed the small flicker of pain cloud her eyes for a split second at the mention of her right-hand man.

"Mordo's soul is rigid and unmovable, forged by the fires of his youth. I had hoped his affection for Miss Summer's might have changed his views but it's also clear to me now that he also needs _your_ flexibility, just as you need his strength. Only together do you stand a chance of stopping Dormammu."

"I'm not ready" Stephen admitted bitterly.

"No one ever is" The Ancient One smirked, but there was a slight waver of fear behind her voice "We don't get to choose our time"

Stephen looked down in surprise as he felt the soft touch of something against his scarred fingers. It was her hand. Slender, pale, unblemished and trembling as it gripped his and she mumbled.

"Death is what gives life meaning. To know your days are numbered, that time is short. You'd think that after all this time I'd be ready. But look at me. Stretching one moment out into a thousand just so I can watch the snow…"

Stephen followed her gaze, looking out over the beautiful panorama of snow, lightning and New York. He'd seen it before many times from this very room in this very hospital. But never had he appreciated it as he was doing now.

He was so entranced that he didn't notice till it was too late, that the hand in his had vanished…along with its owner beside him…

* * *

A pair of hands wrapped like a boa constrictor around her slender throat.

"How does that feel hmm?" he sneered as he began to squeeze the young girl's neck, delighting in her soft gasps for air. "Knowing that you're going to die, and that no one's going to care. It feels bad doesn't it Freyja?"

"N-not-F-Freyja" Via choked as she struggled to break his grip. But it was no use, his clawed hands were only squeezing tighter and tighter…

She could do nothing but stare frightened into those mismatched milky white and sharp brown eyes both alive with a manic malice that seemed to burn brighter as his lips rounding into a vicious sneer-

"Asmund!" she whispered and Fabian Russo cackled.

"Don't even bother calling for your friends' girl, they won't come for you"

"W-wanna bet" Via rasped her fingers curling around the handle of something solid in her palm.

She wasn't quite sure what she had done. It had all happened so fast she wasn't even sure how she'd done it.

One second she had been choking to near death, the next, Fabian was spluttering and sputtering as she pulled out something sharp and gleaming gold from somewhere around his stomach. As she slid the last of the dagger from his flesh she felt the warmth liquid something spurt out, oozing over her clothes and staining it reddish brown.

But she barely paid it any attention. All she knew now was that if she did not take her chance now, she would never get out of this situation alive.

And so with all the force she could muster she shoved Fabian Russo's body off of her own.

"You…you little-ugh…brat…how could you….how could you have…what have you done?" Fabian spluttered but even as he reached out a silver clawed hand towards the fleeing girl, she darted out the door.

The corridor outside her prison was empty, much to her surprise, but Via could still hear people moving above her head.

 _He must be at least guarding the exits_

She reasoned as she quietly crouched low and carefully made her way over to the wall. The web of Asibikaashi glowed faintly in the dark dim light as she slowly made to press her weight against the wall and quickly step on it.

 _At least I can do this easily now_

Via sighed with relief as she felt the familiar shifting of gravity that signaled her change in footing.

Clutching at her wounded shoulder she quietly crept up the side of the wall, crouching as she reached the ceiling where upon she got onto her hands and knees, Asmund's dagger still gripped tightly in one fist.

It would be a slow slog, but at least if someone came looking for her she'd at least have some-

"Got you" a voice snarled and Via cried out as a hand grabbed hard at her hair.

She cried out in pain, struggling hard as she was roughly pulled downwards. With a horrible solid _thud,_ she landed hard on the floor right onto her still bleeding shoulder.

The pain was so sharp that she would have almost blacked out then and there, but the feeling of the hand gripping her hair and the voice snorting hollowly.

"Trying to escape so soon? I do not know whether I should admire your boldness or laugh at your foolishness."

"How about you get some remorse for all your crimes and sod the hell off?" Via glared up at Kaesilius's face as it zoomed in and out of focus.

 _Damn…_

She sucked in a deep breath as she felt her stomach churn uncomfortably. Kaesilius just smirked down on her.

"Such a filthy mouth for one so young. It's a wonder the Ancient One never washed your mouth out with soa-"

"Oh please, I know you've gone to the dark side but at least spare me that cliché for now" Via groaned, half in pain, half in frustrated exhaustion.

But all of it was cut short by the sharp backhand to her face.

"Don't give me that look child" Kaesilius sneered as she glared defiantly up at him from under her bruising eyebrow. "Any harm you acquire here is only a direct result of your own actions….and speaking of actions…"

Via gulped as she saw a male zealot in red dart past her and back towards the open door she had recently left.

"How is he?" Kaesilius asked his follower.

But the Zealot only stared into the room silently.

"Tristan" Kaesilius barked.

The Zealot, Tristan, jumped a little his face paling as he straightened up and turned towards his leader, and then to their young prisoner.

As soon as Via met his gaze, he quickly turned his own away, fear etched in all the lines of his young face.

Kaesilius saw the expression, frowned and quickly snapped.

"Come here and keep a hold on her"

The Zealot hesitated, but at a dangerous look from his leader, made to stand by Via's side, using his magic to bind her to the spot so he didn't have to physically touch her.

Via however was more invested in watching Kaesilius as he moved towards her old cell door, her bound hands quickly hiding themselves and the golden knife in her tunic as he poked his head inside the room.

There was a sharp intake of breath, a horrible squelching noise and a rasping indistinguishable voice and then…

Footsteps sounded behind them and Via turned to see a female Zealot rushing around a corner looking puffed.

"Master! Master!"

"He's checking the prisoner's cell" the Zealot Tristan mumbled trying hard not to look down on Via, who in turn was trying not to make any eye contact with anyone, not even as Kaesilius strode out of the cell door and shut it tight.

When he turned to face them, his voice was tense and stiff.

"Sarah, ready the others. We commence the attack on Hong Kong at once"

"but what about Russo?" Sarah asked only to shudder as her leader narrowed his burnt eyes upon her own.

"Russo will not be joining us tonight, or indeed at any point in the future. We have Miss Sorenson here to thank for that. Don't we _Olivia_?"

Via looked down to the ground, hoping against hope that the sick feeling in her stomach would stop rising.

But she knew it wouldn't.

How could it?

After all…she had just stabbed a man…

* * *

 _I wasn't quite sure how I had done it._

 _The only thing I could think of that could even come close to explaining what had happened was that I had stabbed Russo based on my innate survival instinct…much like both my birth parents would've done. But more on that messy topic later._

 _The important thing was, was that if I had known how the rest of this night was going to turn out, I might've made a lot of different decisions…decisions I would have certainly NOT regretted in the future…for reasons you are about to find out._

 _I might also have been more proactive about keeping track of what was really going on behind the scenes. If I had I probably would've saved myself a lot of heartbreak and tears…_

* * *

When Kaesilius had entered that cell room, he was sure that he was not going to meet a pretty sight.

Indeed, he was proven right when he saw the pool of blood on the floor…though at first it took him a while to realize just who all the red belonged to.

"That…that brat…how could she…I'll kill her…I'll kill her…" a Fabian Russo rasped as he dragged himself towards the door by only his hands.

Kaesilius watched him, disgust creeping up into every fiber of his being as he watched the once great master scratch and claw in his direction, leaving red smears and scratches all over the grey stones below.

"Pathetic" Kaesilius muttered under his breath as he stepped into the room. " _Pathetic…_ I promise you the chance of a lifetime to get your revenge, and you disappoint me and Dormammu by letting a mere child slay you as you stand?"

"You bastard, I'll…I'll kill you too" Fabian snarled as he nearly hauled himself over towards Kaesilius, his nails scratching at the tip of the toes of his shoes. "You know not of what you speak when you talk of Dormammu and his wishes-"

"I know enough to know that true power is wasted on fools like you" Kaesilius straightened up haughtily, coldly.

"You wouldn't dare-guh!".

"But I would." Kaesilius hissed his hands smoothly summoning a shard of his favorite crystalline weapons. "The age of mediocrity has ended; the age of immortality and power has begun. And you, old friend, are sadly not a part of it. You should be thankful I'm giving you a quick death. It's more than you deserve"

There was a horrible sputtering sound and a splash of red as Fabian Russo suddenly fell limp, his scrambling hands stilling as his mouth framed a single word.

"Cassian…"

"Oh don't worry Russo" Kaesilius sneered "I'll take good care of your boy…I promise"

* * *

Cassian Esposito – NO! – Cassian Russo, was not a person to be taken lightly.

Though just a teenager, he was remarkably sharp of mind and exceptionally attuned to the mystic forces.

So, when he felt the small tug of mystical energy in his gut and the sudden weightlessness that came with it he knew something was wrong.

"Father…" he breathed turning back to look at the sliding paper door he had just walked through.

He was about to follow the source of the pull when he felt a warm hand on his shoulder.

"You should go back to Kamar Taj. Make sure the rest of your friends are safe. We can handle it from here" A voice murmured, stern but also calm.

"Wong…" Cassian turned to the older master, his gut clenching as Wong looked down on him grimly. It was just then that the young adolescent realized that they were the only ones standing in the Hong Kong Sanctum Sanctorum armory.

Several weapons were missing from their shelves. Wong himself was holding onto a short staff, the Wand of Watoomb, tightly in one hand.

"Cassian, you may have the training, but these are sorcerers with connections to the dark dimension. Only masters would have a chance at fighting against them now"

"That's exactly what I'm worried about" Cassian shook his head.

"And what is that supposed to-" but Wong stopped short.

Cassian stopped also. He'd felt it too.

"They're here" Wong glared hard at the street below through a small window.

Through it both he and Cassian could see a group of figures, one in gold the others in red, striding out of a ring of glowing sparks, dragging with them a figure in blue with a mop of golden hair.

"Stay inside. Only fight to defend yourself" he hissed to the younger man as he quickly made his way out the paper doors and quickly down a set of stairs.

Cassian watched him go till the last of his footsteps had disappeared from hearing, then turned back to the window.

 _This is it…now or never…_

"I'm sorry Wong"

* * *

Stephen stared as he ran his scarred hands under the running tap.

The water was cold and soothing as he worked his limbs through the familiar motions of his medical hand hygiene practice.

But apart from that it did little to settle his mind.

He wasn't sure what he should feel. His doctor half of him was telling him to let the death go as he had with unfortunate patients in the past.

Meanwhile, his other half was immersed in such guilt and pain that he felt almost numb.

The Ancient One was gone. The only person who could defeat Kaesilius and Dormammu was dead…and he couldn't have saved her.

It was with immense difficulty that he stopped himself looking back towards where her body lay hidden beneath a white sheet.

No…he didn't need another reminder of his failure…and he didn't need the weight on his shoulders either.

He shrugged upwards, relieved when the mass of red cloth quickly drifted away from them and hovered away to float respectfully beside the sink in a corner.

As it did, Stephen momentarily glared as the golden embroidery on the collar of his cloak glinted in his eye, for it only reminded him of another failure that consumed him with remorse.

Somewhere out there in the unknown, a kid was being held captive by two of the most insane sorcerers in the world and suffering at their hands.

But he had, had to make a choice. And despite his guilt, he had faith that his young roommate would pull through, as she always did whenever in a pinch.

For one thing, that Fabian Russo wanted her alive for his vengeance, and secondly, she was tougher than she looked both physically and emotionally. He was sure she'd survive till he and Mordo found her.

And he would find her. He owed her that much after all she'd done for him.

He heard the tinkling of water as the tap next to him was turned on, and his eyes flickered up to see Christine standing beside him, looking just as tired and emotionally worn as he felt.

"Are you alright?" she murmured quietly, only to blink in surprise as he quickly turned to her, his hands grasping at hers as he leaned his forehead down towards hers.

"I don't understand what's happening" Christine looked down to the collar of his robes, trying not to look into his forlorn face as he shook his head sadly.

"I know…but I _have_ to go away now" he cupped her cheeks in his own scarred fingers. "You said that losing my hands didn't have to be the end, that it could be a beginning."

"Yeah" Christine nodded, her eyes bright and wet, "because there are other ways to save lives"

"A harder way" Stephen muttered and was faintly amused to hear her snort softly.

"A _weirder_ way"

 _Doctor Palmer to the ER please. Doctor Palmer to the ER._

The male voice stated blandly over the intercom, drowning out the last of her word, which transformed into a small chuckle and an irritated roll of her eyes.

Stephen however only allowed a momentary upwards quirk of his mouth as he studied her face.

He'd never realized how much he'd missed it.

"I don't want you to go" he admitted softly, his own voice startling himself in its softness and desperation.

He was both relieved and dismayed when she leaned in and gently pressed a soft chaste kiss to his cheek, then pulling back slowly with an equally sad smile and turning on her heel.

Stephen watched her as she left the door, letting a couple of tears drip down his cheeks before steeling himself with a deep shuddering breath.

No…he had to be strong. Kaesilius was still out there. Dormammu needed to be stopped. Friend's needed to be saved.

He could grieve after all was done. But right now he had work to do.

Like after and before many grueling surgeries, he took another deep breath, and this time it was steady and even, even as the scarlet Cloak of Levitation floated over to drape itself back over his shoulders and back.

"Stop that" he muttered as he made to swat off its ridiculously high collar, which had been trying to wipe at his tear stained cheeks. As it settled down, he couldn't help but wonder just how long the relic was going to cling to him so possessively. Would it be until he died, or would he be able to pass it onto someone else after everything was over?

Probably not…

* * *

 _I wish I could tell you that all ended happily ever after. That Kaesilius saw the errors of his ways…that the Ancient One -no Neala – didn't die, that Stephen got his hands back, that Russo was defeated justly by being forced to admit to his crime's before a fair jury._

 _But I'm not here to report what you wish to see._

 _NO._

 _I'm only here to recount what really happened in reality._

 _And unfortunately ,it only gets worse from here._

 _That's right. You heard me correctly_

 _It._

 _Gets._

 ** _Worse._**

* * *

When Via woke up again, she was vaguely aware of the fact that she was being dragged along the ground by her hair by Kaesilius in the middle of a busy bustling city street lit up by neon signs written in Chinese.

How she had managed to remain unconscious till now was beyond her.

But even as she looked around, her eyes were drawn at once to a tall building less than a hundred meters away. A tall building with a strange circular window at the top.

Via didn't need her mystic powers to be able to tell what this place was.

It didn't help her either, that she could see the familiar stocky figure of Wong stride up the street towards her and her captors, a thick short polearm gripped in his hands.

"STAY BACK WONG!" She yelled, surprising Kaesilius who almost jumped as her squeak pierced through the air, startling several of the already wary, Hong Kong residents nearby.

She heard Wong's sharp intake of breath as he stopped in his tracks staring at her in shock.

"Summers what-ARGH!" he keeled over forwards.

"WONG!" Via yelled but too late. She could already see the dark shadowy form of Cassian emerging from the Veil of Enenra's shadow before surging forwards.

Civilians around them began to scream in terror at the sight of the dark mass of smog hurtling horribly through the air like a specter, only to stop short as it towered over Kaesilius's unflinching gaze.

"Where is my father?" he snarled, a smoky blackened hand gripping hard at Kaesilus' robes.

Kaesilius however just smirked calmly.

"Your father? Now why would I do anything to him?"

"Don't play dumb with me Kaesilius" Cassian spat, his voice trembling with rage and grief. "I know you've killed him. I felt it as sure as I feel you here now"

"Yes I can imagine you would've. But that still doesn't mean that I did anything" Kaesilius coolly detatched the boy's shadowy hands from his collar with a flick of his own, the other dragging up Via by the hair.

"Perhaps you should ask your little girlfriend. She was with him in his last moments. Maybe she could tell you what happened to your father"

He tossed Via forwards so that her face planted hard onto the dark asphalt below. She whimpered as she felt Cassian's familiar and yet half formed hands pull her up to look at his face emerging pale from within the shadowy smog.

"Vee…what happened. Where is he. Did Kaesilus hurt him. Please I need to know"

"Cass…" Via felt her throat constrict as she tried choking the words out through fresh tears. "Cass…I'm so sorry…I'm so-so sorry"

"What…what are you saying?" Cassian's face turned the color of parchment.

Via just sobbed. He shook her hard by the shoulders

"Vee! Vee come on answer me. Tell me what happened!"

"Yes _Olivia_ " Kaesilius drawled his tone laced with derisive malicious pleasure "why don't you tell him what _you_ did"

"What _you_ did? Vee what's going…on…" Cassian's voice fell away as he shook her once more, causing something to tinkle as it fell out of the depths of her jacket.

He looked down to the ground, Via following his gaze, still heaving sobs, right down onto the gleaming golden knife stained with red blood.

"Cass…I-I" Via gulped down on a hard sob as she clutched at his robes, the blood from hers staining them dark and red "Cass…I didn't mean…I didn't want to but he…he was going to kill me…"

"Y-you killed him?" Cassian sounded like he'd had all the stuffing knocked out of him.

However, when Via met his gaze, his brown eyes were two amber flames of wrath.

"You _killed_ my _FATHER?!_ "

* * *

 _ **So that's where i leave you today.**_

 _ **took me a while to write given that - oh i don't know- LIFE happened. anyways i hope you enjoyed because we're finally getting closer to the end of the movie. and on that note, i'm a bit stuck on whether or not i should stop the story and create a sequel for post movie events, or just continue on under this title and seperate it into parts. Thoughts anyone?**_

 ** _Finally my plans for Cassian and Via are underway again._** ** _I won't give anything else away but i think you guys can finally guess now what his role might be for the future of Via's story apart from being the designated love interest of the past few chapters (yeah i was also getting a bit irritated with that too :P but patience always pays off)._**

 ** _Cassian may not have agreed with his father's evil, but he still loved him dearly, what with being the only family he has. Personally i also find it interesting testing Via's sense of morality. She may connect on many levels with Stephen Strange but that doesn't mean she'll respond to situations in the same way, especially given her rougher background. Most of the Marvel heroes/protagnoists are flawed and it seemed fitting that Via should fall back on a kill-or-be-killed attitude just as Stephen Strange begins to retain the best parts of his humanity._**

 _ **Anyway enough with my boring character essays, I hope you guys enjoyed and keep reviewing for more.**_

 _ **Cheers**_

 _ **FuzzyBeta**_


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18: Out of Time, Out of Mind**

Karl Mordo stood in the center of the half-decimated stone room. So many times, he had come here when it had been whole. First when he had been just a boy, he had come here to seek solitude and comfort and then when he had been a master, for meetings and council.

Now he just stood there, guilt coursing through him as his mind reeled, overloaded by guilt, fear, anger and doubt.

Guilt for what had transpired.

Fear for what would come next.

Anger for the betrayal he felt.

And doubt in his own strength to stop it.

He sighed heavily as he put his hand on the solitary empty stone plinth in the center of the room.

He should've known it was all too good to be true. He had always been aware that the life of a sorcerer was a difficult one, but up till today everything, even the bad days, seemed so stable and ordered.

But now he realized just how naive he had been.

 _As foolish as I once was as a boy_

He shook his head, keeping his lips shut for fear of letting loose his frustration in a destructive way. No. It would not do for him to let his control go. It was the only thing he had left and he wasn't going to let it get away that easily.

He felt his heart ache a little as he thought back to that terrible moment barely an hour ago when he had seen both his mentor and his favorite student cut down right before his eyes.

 _That stupid, stubborn girl! What was she thinking?_

He ran a hand over his head as he recalled seeing Via's unconscious form being dragged away by a dark figure. He could feel in the fabric of the multiverse that her tether to life was strong, and that she would survive, but still…

 _I should've acted faster…I should've protected…_

His hands balled into fists as the pale face of his ancient mentor flashed before his eyes.

But unlike before, her presence in his mind did not soothe him. On the contrary, it only made his anger grow.

 _To think that_ _ **she**_ _would let a child involve herself in such dangers…It's one thing to be deceitful, but to be willing to make a decision that would drag down innocents alongside herself…that's just…that's just…_

His thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of sparks from behind him. But Mordo didn't look around to see the new arrival. He already could guess who it was, and he wasn't sure he wanted to look him in the eye, not even as he said:

"She's dead"

"You were right. She wasn't who I thought she was." Mordo said, keeping his face studiously pointed to the wall, for fear of letting loose all his anger on his…friend?

Was Stephen Strange his friend? He, the doctor who was so broken but so noble and yet so much like the Ancient One in so many of her rule-breaking ways…

"She was…complicated" Stephen muttered and Mordo scoffed derisively, snarling to the ruined room at large:

" _Complicated_? the Dark Dimension is volatile, dangerous. What if it overtook her? She taught us it was forbidden, while she drew on its power to steal centuries of life-"

"She did what she though was right" Stephen said calmly, but Mordo was having none of it.

"The bill comes due. Don't you see? Her transgressions led the Zealots to Dormammu. Kaesilius was _her_ fault. And here we are in the consequence of her deception. A world on fire-"

"Mordo the London Sanctum has fallen." Stephen whispered urgently, stepping forwards towards his friend "The New York one has been attacked twice. You know where they're going next"

"Hong Kong" Mordo muttered still very much incensed, much to Stephen's frustration.

"You told me once to fight like my life depended on it because one day it might, well today is that day. …I-I cannot defeat them alone…"

There was a small pause, in which Mordo considered his fellow sorcerer's face. It was no longer the face of the arrogant and self-absorbed man he had first seen entering Kamar-Taj but one of set, determined strong sorcerer. And yet, just underneath the strength was a man torn by grief and great fear. It was almost so heartbreaking that Mordo himself didn't know whether he wanted to punch the man or comfort him for their shared loss.

His decision however was made for him when Stephen muttered quietly:

"Please Mordo… _She_ needs _us_ "

The other Sorcerer seemed lost for words as he simply stared him in the eye and then to Stephen's relief he nodded.

With a wave of his hands and a slight glimmer of energy from his Sling Ring, Stephen summoned another portal, which he and Mordo swiftly ran through, only to stop short at the horrific sight that met them.

"The Sanctum…It's already fallen."

They were too late…

* * *

 _Yes, Stephen and Mordo were too late._

 _The sanctum was destroyed, and the protective seal shielding the world from Dormammu had been broken._

 _I'll never forget the terror that I felt when I saw that monstrous dimension begin to materialize in the sky. It was like an oppressive dark weight seemed to have heaved itself onto both my shoulders pushing me down till I could barely move for fear. And considering what had happened twenty minutes before…well…_

* * *

 **Twenty Minutes ago…**

"You _killed_ my _FATHER?!_ " the shout rang out over the whole road, bouncing off every window and wall and reverberating like a roaring tidal wave.

Via looked down to the ground in tears as she was roughly shoved down onto the ground by Cassian, who had begun to pace up and down in front of Kaesilius and his zealot's wary gazes.

"I should've known…I should've guessed this should happen…after that whole incident with Mai…people said you'd be dangerous but I didn't want to…I just couldn't…" the young man hissed, sparing Via a furious tearful glare.

"Couldn't believe a Sorenson was capable of murder?" Kaesilius provided oh-so-helpfully as he strode towards the grieving teen, only to step back when Cassian snarled ferociously:

"Don't touch me you filthy bastard! You're the one that let this happen. I know you wanted my father dead after you finished summoning Dormammu, I'm not stupid!"

"Indeed, you are not" Kaesilius admitted, his face turning stony, only to quickly dodge to the side as a spell was thrown into his face.

But it hadn't been aimed by Cassian, nor by Via.

"Wong!" Via cried out in relief as she saw the older Master before her stagger to his feet, weapon and arms raised to fight.

"Summers now!" he yelled as the end of the short staff in his hand glowed bright yellow. At once a burst of energy blasted forth, knocking Kaesilius's two Zealot's backwards, whilst he and Cassian quickly darted to the side.

Via rushed forwards quickly, thankful as the Web of Asibikaashi's energy surged through her boosting her legs so that she was just strong enough to run to Wong's side, even if she was doubled over in pain.

"Get into the Sanctum, I'll hold them off" Wong hissed but Via wouldn't move.

"Wong no! You're injured-"

"So are you Summers, now go! Get everyone who can't fight out of there now that's an order."

Via was about to open her mouth to protest when suddenly, despite his injury, Wong pushed her hard with a spell.

Against her will, she felt her body being dragged helplessly back towards the tall building behind her, from which out poured several older sorcerers.

"Wong's injured, he needs help" She wheezed as the spell continued to drag her back inside against the small flow of warriors assembling outside. A couple of them nodded to her in acknowledgement just as the doors to the Sanctum shut in her face and she was thrown hard onto her back onto the floor.

"Summers?" a voice called and Via craned her head up just in time to see coming out a doorway a familiar head of long dark hair.

"Fan" she wheezed as Mai Fan herself suddenly swam into her vision, glaring down at her.

"Our Sanctum's under attack and _you're_ at the center of all the mayhem? Why am I not surprised" the young acolyte sneered as she knelt down to Via's level.

But Via was too busy worrying about the ominous sounds of fighting that had just sparked outside to even care who she was talking to.

"Wong…Wong sent me back here…" She wheezed struggling to her elbows. "Cassian betrayed us…Kaesilius is going to destroy -He has control over matter here outside the mirror dimension. He's going to use his powers to obliterate the entire building and everyone in it"

"So you say" Mai rolled her eyes only to pause as she did a double take "Hold on what do you mean Cassian has betrayed us? Cassian's at Kamar-Taj with your goodie two shoes-"

"Actually …he's not" a new voice hissed.

Mai and Via both jumped in their spots as the dark shadowy smoky form of Cassian Russo emerged before them.

"C-Cass? But what-how-The Veil of Enenra?" Mai spluttered in horror, her pale face turning the color of parchment "But father sealed upstairs hours ago?"

"Yeah well he obviously didn't do a good job did he _Fan_ " Cassian spat and Via was alarmed to see his hands gleaming with something silver

Catching sight of her glance, Cassian held up his hands, revealing a pair of silver clawed gauntlets.

"Remember these Vee?" He sneered "I just got them back from the hideout. Straight from the body of my father. I never used to like them much before. But now I'm wearing them I think they rather suit me…don't you think so Fan?"

"Cass NO!" Via cried out as she scrambled haphazardly to her feet, dragging Mai back just in time as Cassian reached forwards with those horribly clawed hands.

She felt the scrape of metal against her cheek as the tips of the claws sliced her cheek. She might've had her whole face carved clean off had Mai not quickly tugged her back to stumble with her.

There was a flash of bright green light as the dark-haired girl acolyte quickly forced forwards a powerful shield mandala that sent Cassian blasting backwards into one of the red pillars of the hall.

"Thanks" Via puffed as she felt herself be dragged upwards to her feet by Mai's rough hands.

"Don't start getting all chummy on me Summers. I still hate you" Mai rolled her eyes as she held her hands up to cast another spell, just as Cassian began to rise back into the air. With a swift flow of her arms, links of energy shot out to bind around him tight.

"I don't know what the hell he is using, but I'm not sure if I can hold him long. You better have a plan to get us out of here Summers or else I'll kill you myself!" even as Mai spoke the magical chains around Cassian began to strain and crack.

"I only have one plan." Via grunted as she got back up to her feet shakily "Attack till he's down"

"And of course you choose to act like a brute" Mai rolled her eyes and Via scowled angrily.

"If you have a better idea then speak up now or forever hold your peace _dipshit_!"

"Stupid bitch" Mai grunted under her breath, wincing as she tried to strengthen the hold of her spell over the still struggling Cassian, who's thrashes were only getting wilder and stronger still.

"Hurry up and arm yourself before yesterday passes!"

Via did not need telling twice. Her hands flew quickly to the dream-catcher around her neck, which had been glowing brightly all throughout the exchange. With a swift but careful swipe of her hand, she quickly pressed some of the glowing energy against her still bleeding shoulder; barely managing to keep herself standing upright as she swayed tiredly where she stood.

She had been brought to the brink of death so many times already that she wasn't sure she could go on much longer.

But she had to…she had to go on fighting…she didn't have a choice.

"Asmund, Brynja" she grunted, and for a moment relief flooded through her as the awakening of her guardians brought forth a spurt of much needed mystical energy.

 _Be careful child…You're nearly at your limit. Push yourself too much and you can kill yourself. Even we can't protect you from that danger._

Brynja hissed worriedly in her head. But Via just shrugged her off.

She could worry about death later. Now she needed to subdue her angry, murderous and grieving ex-boyfriend.

It was easier said than done.

Merely a second after Brynja's armor and Asmund's staff had appeared in her hands, Via had to duck for cover as Cassian suddenly blasted off his restraints. Thankfully Mai could roll to the side and escape the magnitude of the blast.

With a quick flick of her wrist she spun a spell at him, a red one that quickly blasted into what appeared to be a quick firecracker in his face.

"A little firework spell Mai? Really?" Cassian laughed hollowly, swatting the spell away easily "You really are a pathetic little piece of-Argh!"

He flew backwards through the air as Asmund's golden staff suddenly swung out and hit him in the stomach area, but not before its victim quickly grabbed Via by the scruff of her jacket and threw her down towards the ground.

Thankfully the Web of Asibikaashi was feeling generous enough to give Via a helpful nudge. Even as she fell, she quickly righted herself and landed in a catlike crouch on the floor, only to roll away as a spell thrashed down hard towards her, followed swiftly by another, and another-

"Oh, so now you're shy?" Cassian sneered as Via quickly ducked for cover behind a pillar as a particularly ferocious and violently explosive spell flew for where her head had just been.

"I don't know what you did to make him go loopy Summers…but just know that I really, _really_ hate you now!" Via faintly heard Mai grumble as she too hid quickly behind the neighboring pillar just a few feet away.

"You and me both" Via muttered, only to wince as she and her reluctant ally had to leap away as their cover was quite literally torn to shreds by a wave of dark destructive smog.

Cassian roared, a loud, thunderous wave of sound that made both girl's literally fly backwards as his dark half smoke, half human form turned on them both growing larger and larger with each passing second.

He had grown so massive in his presence that even the lights in the ceilings were getting blocked out as they shook above the two frightened girls who were trying to find their feet.

"Cass no-no! please stop! It doesn't have to be like this" Via cried out pushing an empty hand out towards him and crawling in front of Mai who was rooted to the spot, tears streaming down her cheeks as terror gripped her.

"Cass I'm sorry! I'm sorry for everything I've done to you! You're right. I deserve this and probably a whole lot more, but let her go. It's me! I'm the one who killed your father. Not her, not anyone else. I'm the one who's hurt you and taken everything from you."

"Yes, you did" Cassian bellowed his body rising higher, but Via could see the tears in his eyes threatening to fall despite his efforts. "But it's too late. If it weren't for you or the Ancient One or for Kamar-Taj, both my mother and father would be-would be-"

"I know…" Via wept "I know but… please…please…don't kill her…don't kill anyone else. If you want to kill me that's fine. I deserve it. But please Cass, please spare her, spare everyone and I'll do whatever you want. Anything at all! Please I'm begging you- don't please- not now…not like this-Y-your murderer…not like him…not like me…please-"

"Too late Vee" Cassian growled, his form shifting backwards into the black smog so that only his face remained a smoky outline as it rose higher and higher before exploding.

Her eardrums nearly burst as Via was thrown high up into the air, her body flying backwards and straight into someone else.

She couldn't tell who it was. All she knew was the next second she had bounced off whoever she had hit, fallen on the floor and was suddenly slammed down under heaps of heavy stone.

 _C-Can't breathe…_

She wheezed and choked, trying and failing to struggle against the giant debris of stone crushing her chest slowly, painfully.

The only thing she could do was open her eyes, but even as she gazed up towards the heavens…all she saw was hell.

Great masses of space and matter were surging from a gaping black nothingness, tendrils of heavy thick energy leeching out like tentacles to strangle and consume all life it could reach out and grab.

Beside her Mai lay, her face blank and pale. Green eyes glazed up into the dark dimension above, lifeless and cold…a trickle of blood dribbling from her slack mouth…her body twisted and warped at horrible unnatural angles…

She heard footsteps thundering against her ears. With the infinitesimal strength she could muster, Via rolled her head to the side to watch as Kaesilius began to run towards someone, weapon brandished and ready to strike at two people.

One dark and in green, the other in red and blue.

Despite everything happening around her, despite the pain, the suffering and the weakness in her whole body the corners of Via's lips twitched in a smile as she watched the two figures walk closer into view.

Even though it was probably the end, and they were too late, she could at least see them both…

one…

last…

time…

Her eyelids fluttered shut…

 ** _BAM!_**

She felt her face hit something smooth and hard.

"what the?" she winced her eyes flying open.

She was staring straight up into the dim red lighted ceiling of the Hong Kong Sanctum Sanctorum.

 _But-But-this was just destroyed…I just saw Cass-_

"Summers?" a voice called and Via rolled over to see Mai running straight towards her.

"Fan what the-how-holy shit!" Via looked down and sure enough there was no large rock crushing her midriff, only a bleeding shoulder which she quickly bound with the Web of Asibikaashi's magic as she scrambled to her feet, her surprise fueling her with a much-needed boost of adrenaline.

"Our Sanctum's under attack and _you're_ at the center of all the mayhem? Why am I not surprised?" Mai rolled her eyes, stepping back disconcertedly as her rival quickly turned to her muttering wildly under her breath.

"You said that before-but-but if you said that before then that would mean-no-no This-this can't be possible. No-no there's no way it could be possible."

"Need anything Summers? A straight-jacket perhaps?" Mai sneered keeping her distance from Via as she stumbled about trying to piece together what had just happened.

She had been so sure she had been about to die. That giant rock had all but crushed all her organs and bones, and she had literally, tasted her last breath on the tip of her tongue (which had been a rather revolting mixture of hot ash, blood and dirty water)

And yet here she was back in a once ruined building with her old rival snarling at her in fear and alarm just as she had done only a few moments ago-

"Time…it's been turned backwards" she breathed clapping a hand to her forehead. "I'm in the past…But…that's just…It's impossible…"

She thought only to wince as she heard a voice speak in her head.

 _Nothing is ever impossible_

But it wasn't Fala, nor Brynja or Asmund. Nor was it the voices in her memories of Stephen, Meeta, Arthur, Mordo, the Ancient One or any of her other masters at Kamar-Taj.

This was the voice of someone who sounded just like…herself…and yet it sounded older?

Via couldn't understand, and nor did she have time to understand when she heard the distant sound of something crashing and whooshing just outside the doors of the Sanctum.

She knew that sound…and she knew exactly what was coming with it, even if it did nothing to ease her nerves.

"You can thank me for this later Fan" Via muttered as with a swift round of her hands and a great push of magical energy, she shoved Mai out of the way and through the small sling ring portal, just as Cassian Russo began to emerge from the shadows.

But this time Via was ready.

Tucking the glowing Web of Asibikaashi under her jacket she quickly leapt up to the dark corners of the ceiling, just as he finally solidified and looked about.

His eyes glazed over her form quickly, not noticing her for she stayed stock still in her corner, barely moving for breath as he quickly lowered his hovering half smoky form to walk on the ground, his back facing her.

Quickly as she dared, she quietly crawled from the ceiling and down towards the sides of one of the red pillars, only just managing to hide behind it just in time as he wheeled about to look in her direction.

Her heart hammering Via slowly slid down to crawl along the floor, much like how she so often did on the ceiling or walls, her body almost plastered to the stone tiles as she made her way over to a nearby window tucked away off the atrium.

If their last fight back in the well the _previous_ past, was anything to go by, she could not let Cassian fight her in here. She might have been able to crawl and fight in three-sixty-degree combat, but that damned cloak or veil or whatever Mai had called it could fill an entire room and snuff out all light and life from it.

Her hand reached out to grab at the windowsill…only to be stopped as a larger one gripped at her wrist, each strong finger in silver claw rings.

"Nice try Vee…but if you think I'm going to let you just slip away a second time-"

"Second time?" Via growled, holding her ground as she was spun round to face the snarling furious face of her distraught ex.

"Don't play dumb. I know you felt the time shift as well. How did you do it? HOW?!" He spat as he shook her hard.

"I don't know Cass. But if I did you know I would go back and fix what I did. You know I would"

"Bullshit" Cassian hissed, his hands gripping her arms so hard she could practically feel them bruising right then and there.

But Via only shook her head sadly, tears streaming down her cheeks as she balled her hands into fists by her sides.

She wasn't going to like what she was about to do. But she had to do it…She had no choice.

With one quick smooth move of her head, she leaned in and pressed her lips against his gently.

"I'm sorry …" she whispered her bright and very wet blue eyes not once leaving his surprised brown ones even as she pushed him off her and let loose some of the Web of Asibikaashi's power at him.

At once a ball of golden energy shot out towards Cassian, hitting him squarely in the chest and sending him flying into the wall, where he stuck immobilized behind a glowing golden web.

"What the-What is this?" Cassian yelled as he tried to struggle against the bonds. But no matter how hard he tried, they would not budge. Even the Veil of Enenra failed to make him intangible against his bonds.

"Goodbye Cass." Via whispered quickly jumping to the empty windowsill just as Cassian yelled after her.

"Via wait-OLIVIA!"

But already she had disappeared into pandemonium.

* * *

 _It worked…the Eye of Agamoto…it really worked…_

Stephen Strange had seen many phenomenal things in his life thus far. But none of them even held a candle to the sight of watching time fly backwards in reverse.

Buildings half destroyed were re-making themselves until they had not a scratch on them. Vehicles of all shapes and sizes zoomed back through the streets, and many timed neon signs and clocks slipped backwards. People ran backwards and some even flew backwards from where they had been sent flying. There was even one man who ran backwards from where fire had blasted into his face, his horrific burns melting backwards into a clear unblemished but fearful face. And above all this, the Dark Dimension was slipping back through the closing rip in time-space.

Amidst all the chaos, Stephen caught sight of Kaesilius running straight towards him and Mordo followed by two Zealots.

The blows exchanged were brutal, desperate, like their perpetrators on both sides. For the second time that day Stephen found himself not even thinking about the bloodshed even as he landed a couple of hits to Kaesilius's jaw before leaping out of the way of a reversing car.

But whatever relief he felt was squashed instantly by Kaesilius's return to form as he struck again.

Somewhere above he heard Mordo fighting it out with the other Zealots, but could not do anything about it as he dodged and ducked and wove around his opponent's keen strikes.

Then suddenly there was brown everywhere. Wincing, he let the Cloak of Levitation rise to shield his face as the dust cloud of the shockwave that had decimated the Hong Kong Sanctum, was suddenly sucked back towards the center of the great explosion that had wrecked the streets and the reforming building.

It was quick to disappear but it granted Mordo enough time to quickly and quietly sneak down behind Kaesilius and pull him away with the Staff of the Living Tribunal, much to Stephen's relief.

Both quickly began to run, not even stopping to watch as a wall resealed itself around Keasilius's form, the Zealot's face alight with malice as he roared with fury.

But Stephen didn't care, not when his eyes had found someone revealed from beneath a large pile of rising rock impaled upon a chunk of sharp metal.

"Wong!" he cried out as the librarian was reversed through time, lifted off the spike and back to the ground.

With a quick spin of his hands, Stephen tore the poor man out of the reverse time-lapse, his grin widening at the uncharacteristic expression of shock.

"Breaking the laws of nature I know" he shrugged smirking as Wong scowled and rolled his eyes.

"Well don't stop now"

"WONG!" a voice cried out.

Stephen, Mordo and Wong all turned round just in time, to see the mass of blue material and blonde curls throw aside a stunned zealot, and land catlike just behind them.

"Olivia…thank heavens you're alright" Mordo let out a heavy sigh.

 _All right? The girl looks like she's been thrashed by a steak tenderizer!_

Stephen couldn't help but wince at the sight of his roommate.

Her entire body was bruised and severely scratched, with one magnificent black eye blooming dark over the left side of her face. Her curls, once golden and shining, were now matted with blood and dirt, much like how it had been all those months ago when she was first brought to Kamar-Taj. Her clothes too, torn, fraying her shoulders stained red with drying bloodstains and glowing from what seemed to be golden spider-webs.

She almost stumbled as she hobbled towards him, limping on her right side.

"So… _that's_ what's causing all this weird shit huh?" She muttered darkly as she eyed the Eye of Agamotto that was glowing green as it hung low on the doctor's chest.

"It's good to see you too."

Stephen could've laughed out loud as he heard those words escape her lips. Raspy and tired though she sounded, it was just such a Via thing to say that it was hard not to smirk as he turned to face the reforming Sanctum.

"Come on. When the Sanctum's restored they'll attack it again. We gotta defend it"

His three companions all nodded and quickly they all began running back down the street.

But before they had run even five paces a blast of energy hit them all squarely, sending them all flying backwards into the dark wet and dirty street.

When Stephen raised his head, it was to see everything around him had stilled in its spot. Civilians had literally paused mid action, fire had stopped mid burst. He looked down to his wrist and groaned softly as he saw that the green rings of the time spell he'd conjured had vanished without a trace.

"Get up Strange. Get up and fight. We can finish this." the tired voice of Mordo panted behind him as he and Wong slowly stumbled back to their feet.

Gingerly Stephen nodded, his stomach dropping with dread as he saw that Via was laying still on the ground beside him, her eyes shut, a small drop of blood dribbling from a cut where her brow had hit the road.

He reached out to her, leaning down as he pressed his fingers carefully against her neck. As soon as his fingers touched her skin, a pair of bright blue eyes opened and looked up at him blearily.

"Hey old man" Via breathed, the corners of her lips twitching upwards as she tried to suck in a breath.

"Hey yourself" he sighed with relief as he felt the soft steady pulse flutter against his fingertips and saw the small puffs of breath escape her nostrils as she glanced away from him.

Stephen followed her gaze and stiffened as he caught sight of Kaesilius and three more of his followers (just how many of them did he have? Stephen wondered) stalking towards them.

"You cannot fight the inevitable" Kaesilius smirked proudly up towards the still and silent sky, where the dark dimension hovered above the buildings, peeking out from the cracks of reality. "Isn't it beautiful? A world beyond time beyond death…"

"Beyond time…" Stephen muttered to himself, his eyes glazing over Via's tired expression as she succumbed to exhaustion, sudden realization hitting him across the face like a frying pan.

"I'll be right back" he patted the girl's curls clumsily as he felt the Cloak of Levitation pull him upwards.

He let it take the lead, knowing somehow, that it would take him to where he needed to go. He wasn't quite sure how he was aware of this, nor did he really care.

For the first time that day, he knew, exactly what he had to do.

* * *

 _Yes…another explosion. Another blackout._

 _I told you that it would go off with a bang didn't i?_

 _Just wait till you all see what the hell is happening next. Now that stuff got real freaky._

* * *

She knew where she was, without even having to open her eyes, such was the feeling of your body floating through nothingness.

She barely even blinked in surprise as she let herself float upright into a "standing" position amid the strange dark space around her.

Rather instead, she just rolled her eyes.

"Great…of all the times you had to pull me out old hag it had to be now"

"Stop whining child." the old voice of Fala rasped as the elder herself suddenly appeared by Via's side and grabbed her shoulder.

"There is something you need to see"

"What is it-" But Via's voice stuck in her throat as the world around her suddenly took shape.

She had thought she knew what chaos was. But, thinking that she knew something was nothing compared to _what_ she was seeing around her.

It was confused, dark, the air felt thick and heavy like water, except she was quite certain air was flooding through her lungs. Strange globular structures surrounded her, interconnected with one another by strange appendages making it all look like a very complex, ever shifting molecular model.

And amidst these destroyed worlds a figure in blue and red flew straight through, landing gently on the everchanging surface of a decimated sphere.

"Stephen" She breathed letting her body float towards the Doctor as he made to cast a spell over his hands. Over his chest, the Eye of Agamotto glowed green.

"Stephen can you hear me? Where are we? Stephen?" Via called as she got close enough. But Stephen barely looked up.

In fact, he just ignored her, his focus intent upon his spell, not even noticing her hand going straight through his head as she tried to reach for him.

"What's going on? Why can't he see me?" Via turned to Fala who had just floated to her side a small smirk playing on her lips.

"The answer to that question lies in the answer to this one. Do you know where _you_ are child?"

"This…this is the Dark Dimension, isn't it? You took me here just now" Via gulped, her stomach dropping as Fala shook her head, smirk widening slightly.

"Not quite" the elder croaked "What you see around you is the Dark Dimension, but that doesn't necessarily mean you're _in_ it."

"What do you mean I'm not _in_ it" Via scowled. "I'm right here aren't I?"

"But are you _really_ here?" Fala raised an eyebrow. "Is _all_ of you here floating with me? Or is it only _part_ of you?"

Via opened her mouth to speak, but shut it hastily as it suddenly hit her.

"I'm dreaming aren't I?" she breathed reaching out to ghost her hand through Stephen's concentrated face. "I'm-I'm still down there on Earth but I'm also here or half here. But…but this isn't a dream so h-how-"

"The Dream Dimension doesn't just belong to Earth. It is like a layer that coats all dimensions, or at least dimensions where life-forms that dream can be found…and make no mistake child, there is life even in such a place as this" Fala patted the girl's shoulders turning her to face-

"Holy shit!" Via yelped, clapping a hand over her mouth as a great big glowing eye of energy and fire glared down upon them all from above.

It was so large that the great big pupil in the middle of the energy seemed to feel like a great black hole, sucking in all life and matter into it.

The face it belonged to was just as frightening. Immense, dark and constantly rippling as energy danced over the surface of - was that skin Via couldn't tell.

She cursed her own cowardice as she watched Stephen calmly leap from his spot and towards the great being before them, her own body unable to move from where she hovered invisible to all.

"Dormammu!" Stephen called eyes blazing with determination "I've come to bargain"

"You've come to die" the being, Dormammu rumbled, with a voice so deep that it could shake stars out of orbit. "Your world is now my world. Like all worlds…"

"NO!" Via yelled balking forwards as sharp pieces of rock suddenly hurtled at Stephen. He managed to block most of them with his Mandala shields, that was until Dormammu let loose a giant roar of energy that completely decimated him in one violent blast.

Via tried to float forwards, tears streaming down her face as she reached out only to cry out in alarm as Stephen suddenly appeared right in front of her, fully alive and completely unharmed (save the previous small cuts and scrapes from Earth).

"What the…" She gasped barely noticing Fala pulling her back to a safe distance as the fully alive Stephen Strange turned on his heel and jumped back down to the other planet below, to face Dormammu.

"Dormammu, I've come to bargain" he smirked and Dormammu hissed.

"You've come to die. Your world is now my…" but then Dormammu stopped confusion lighting up those searing eyes. "What is this? Illusion?"

"No" Stephen's smirk widened. "this is real"

"Good" Dormammu sneered and before Stephen could take another step, several sharp spikes slammed down and impaled him from above.

But no sooner had he been pierced; then so did he reappear before a stunned Via's face.

"You, sneaky son of a…what the hell did you do?" She whispered watching with wide staring eyes as Stephen turned around his expression now quite bored as he jumped before the unnerved undying entity once again.

"Dormammu, I've come to bargain"

"You've-What is happening?" Dormammu growled utterly perplexed as he beheld the much smaller human who defiantly stood and smirked smugly up at him from below.

"Since you gave Kaesilius power from your dimension, I brought some power from mine." Stephen held up a hand, on which Via saw quite plainly, several green rings of spinning energy. " _This_ is time. Endless…looped _time!_ "

"You _dare_?" Dormammu snarled and with a massive swing he brought his fist down crushing the Doctor beneath its weight…or so he thought.

A few seconds later, Stephen loped back over to him, unscathed and unbroken.

"Dormammu, I've come to bargain!" he called casually across the divide.

Despite her fear and her horror at what her friend was doing, Via had to admit, she felt a little sorry for Dormammu as Stephen gave him his best shit-eating grin that so often drove her up the walls with frustration.

"You cannot do this forever" Dormammu boomed and for the first-time Via found herself rolling her eyes as she caught sight of the defiant gleam in Stephen's eyes. Nope, he wasn't going to give up any time soon.

"Actually, I can. This is how things are now! You and me. Trapped in this moment. Endlessly"

 _And me trapped watching it_

Via bit down on her tongue, forcing herself to not look away as Dormammu hissed.

"Then you will spend eternity dying!

"Yes" Stephen admitted "But everyone on Earth will live"

"But you will suffer!"

"Pain's an old friend" Stephen muttered and for the first time since he began the loop, Via saw the pain and grief flash briefly in his eyes.

But then it was obliterated, as Dormammu once again engulfed him in a destructive beam of energy that shattered him into a billion pieces, all of which quickly reassembled back to the spot in front of Via.

Torn between flashes of grief, stabs of terror and a morbidly grim amusement Via watched her friend stroll to his death. Over and over again, each attack gained more ferocity as Dormammu for all his power, grew restless and frustrated.

"Dormammu, I've come to bargain!"

Tentacles snared over Stephen's body and ripped him apart limb from limb.

"Dormammu, I've come to bargain!"

Stephen was dragged under the surface and crushed by the ground beneath him.

"Dormammu, I've come to bargain!"

Stephen's throat was slit by a flying spike.

"Dormammu, I've come to bargain!"

Stephen's body was hit by a spell that caused his entire body to literally turn inside out (a sight that nearly made Via throw up then and there, even though she was in an astral form.)

"Dormammu, I've come to bargain!"

Stephen's head was sliced clean off by a spell.

"Dormammu, I've come to bargain!"

Several spikes slammed down on Stephen's body, the last one sending him sprawling onto his back.

He turned over half expecting another spike to come crashing down…only it didn't.

Via watched, a sigh of relief escaping her even as Dormammu's terrifying voice rumbled over the great expanse of the Dark Dimension.

"End this! You will never win"

"No." Stephen muttered as he got back up on his feet. "But I can lose. Again. And Again. And Again. Forever. That makes you my prisoner"

"No!" Dormammu cried out angrily striking Stephen down again, and yelling as he came back to life and jumped back down towards him. "Stop! Make this stop! Set me free! I com-"

"NO!" Stephen barked over the top of him eyes flashing with equal anger and power " _I've come to bargain"_

"What do you want?" Dormammu's snarl was venomous, but Via could hear the pleading desperation leech through the air like black ink in clear water.

Stephen smirked, the sweet taste of victory playing on his tongue as he prepared his hands over the spell on his wrist.

"Take your Zealots from the Earth" He commanded strongly, clearly, the Cloak of Levitation pulling him up to hover before the great entity that lay at _his_ mercy "End your assault on my world. Never come back. Do it and I'll break the loop."

Via saw the great eyes consider Stephen for a moment. Vengeance and anger swelled within them threatening to engulf them all, but there was also a small spark of begrudging admiration.

Dormammu opened his mouth-

* * *

"Get up Strange. Get up and fight. We can finish this." the tired voice of Mordo panted.

Via felt something scarred and rough press against her neck gently and her eyes creaked open.

"Hey old man" She smiled softly as Stephen Strange's face swam into view, returning her smirk with one of his own.

"Hey yourself"

She sucked in a deep breath, focusing on the Dream-Catcher on her neck. Its magic seeped into her granting her enough energy to gingerly turn her head to face Kaesilius as he and his zealots stalked up towards them.

Via's smile widened slightly as she saw the realization sweeping over Stephen's face, only this time she managed to keep herself awake as he reached out to pat her curls consolingly.

"I'll be right back"

She watched him fly up and out of sight, sucking in a deep breath as she saw the shoes of Mordo and Wong pass her, the two masters positioning themselves in defensive positions between her weakened body and Kaesilius.

"You cannot fight the inevitable" the mad sorcerer smirked proudly up towards the still and silent sky, where the dark dimension hovered above the buildings, peeking out from the cracks of reality. "Isn't it beautiful? A world beyond time beyond death…"

There was a flutter of cloth and Kaesilius wheeled about, his shocked face warping into one of rage.

"What have you done?" he hissed just as Via began to struggle up to her elbows to watch.

"I made a bargain" Stephen smirked, his eyes flickering down towards Kaesilius's hands.

Via followed both men's gazes, barely concealing her gasp of shock as she saw the man's flesh begin to flake off and peel away, revealing burnt skin crackling with dark energies.

"What is this?" Kaesilius's voice wavered with fear, but Stephen was not phased as he strolled forwards oh-so-casually.

"Oh, it's everything you ever wanted. Eternal life as part of the One. You're not going to like it" he chuckled just as Kaesilius and his followers suddenly seemed to choke; their bodies convulsing horribly as more and more of their skin and then their clothes began to melt away and fly upwards towards the dark skies above.

Via was barely on her hands and knees by the time their bodies had begun to rise, writhing and shrieking into the air and towards the great empty chaos that was the dark dimension, no longer human, no longer living…but no longer dead either…

"Yeah, you know you really should've stolen the whole book, because the warnings…the warnings come _after_ the spells" Stephen muttered as he and Mordo both watched their old enemies disappear back into the gaping chasm above.

Wong on the other hand just burst out laughing.

The sound was so jarring that all three of them, Stephen, Mordo and Via (who had just gotten up to her feet) stared disconcertedly at him, the lattermost leaning away with narrowed eyes like a wary cat around a dog.

"Ah-hahahaha! That's good. That was funny" Wong chuckled, snorting a bit as he quickly tried to compose himself.

Once he was silent, (glaring at them all as if challenging them to even dare open their mouths) Stephen thrust out his hands, the time spell around his wrist glowing brightly along with the Eye of Agamotto.

Via watched in awe as time flew backwards around them. Civilians looks of fear and anguish turned back to oblivious happiness and relaxation as they resumed their daily lives. Cars zoomed back onto clean and mostly clear streets. Fires pulled back, burst water pipes were shut and soon the heavens above were resealed, the dark dimension all but a dream.

 _Oh the irony_

Via chuckled softly to herself as she looked over the now whole Sanctum.

"Well…we did it" Wong smirked as he began to lead the way towards the building, Via and Stephen both following eagerly only to stop as a voice behind them snorted derisively.

"Yes, we did it"

Via looked back frowning as Mordo shook his head and scorned:

"But by also violating the natural law"

"Look around you. It's over" Stephen gestured around to the living breathing world around them, bustling without a care or knowledge of what had just happened…what would never happen…

But Mordo shook his head, and Via knew from the look in his pained eyes that he was blind to the wonder around them, just as she had been blind to his suffering till that moment.

"You think there will be no consequences Strange? No price to pay?" he hissed, his voice broken soft "We broke our rules, just like her. The bill comes due. _Always_! A reckoning I will follow this path no longer"

He turned his back on them.

"Mordo? Mordo-Wait!" Via reached out, but Wong held her back.

Mordo paused for a moment, glancing back briefly.

When his gaze caught hers for a split second, it was beseeching and pleading, as if he was willing her to speak sense to say something.

But no sooner had she caught the look, so did Via's voice catch in her throat.

What could she say…to man betrayed and hurt like this? To someone whose whole world had been shaken and turned upside down by the one mentor they had both trusted? Via knew that what the Ancient had done to keep her immortality had been unnatural, she also knew that in her heart of hearts it had been the right thing to do…

And so, it was with a heavy heart, and tearful eyes that she watched the very man who had trained her to fight walked away, his back straight, his footsteps unstoppable.

"Mordo…" she whispered again even as his head disappeared from sight, only to quickly look around as something dark and shadowy caught the corner of her eye.

Quickly she looked back up towards the Hong Kong Sanctum Sanctorum, where on the roof, a dark shape was hovering and looking down on all of them.

"Cass…" she sighed as the face of Cassian Russo glared down at her, before vanishing into the dark skies above.

"Come on. Let's go home" Stephen's voice murmured softly as he pressed a warm hand gently on her shoulder. But Via didn't notice it as she shut her eyes and let herself slip into darkness once more.

 _They're gone…they've left me…they've left me and won't ever come back…all over again…_

* * *

 _ **AND FINALLY IT'S OVER! the freaking battle with Kaesilius is over. Seriously NOW i can get on with writing the stuff i want to.**_

 _ **Thanks to all of you who've stuck around so far and don't worry there will be more interesting stuff coming up ;). '**_

 _ **Funny fact, just as i was starting to write the ending bit where Mordo was leaving, i could hear someone else in the other room next door, watching the movie Kinky Boots starring (you guessed it)**_ **Chiwetel Ejiofor who at that moment was singing "These Boots are Made for Walking"**

 _ **XD ROFL (Seriously talk about perfect timing. It took me a good ten minutes before i could actually sober up and write that leaving scene down without cracking up)**_

 _ **Anyways hope you all enjoyed and keep reading and reviewing for more.**_

 ** _Cheers_**

 ** _FuzzyBeta_**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19: Look For the Girl with the Broken Smile**

 _People think that the worst day of your life is always going to be literally the most memorable day._

 _Truth is…it's not._

 _It's the day after the Worst day of your life you actually remember the clearest._

 _Or at least I did._

 _Especially since it started with the greatest of ironies._

* * *

 _Tap on my window, knock on my door._

 _I want to make you feel beautiful._

Via stared blankly at the wall opposite her face. It was a familiar sight to her, for it was the very wall her own small single bed had been squashed against back at Kamar-Taj.

Kamar-Taj…

Via shut her eyes tight, pursing her lips as she tried to drown out Maroon Five from her head. But it was no use. The lyrics of the song just bounced around the cavity of her skull.

 _I know I tend to get so insecure._

 _It doesn't matter anymore_

No…it didn't matter anymore did it? Kamar-Taj…the place she had once thought she could call home…now she felt like an outcast, rudely intruding somewhere she aught not to be.

At least that's how she felt she would be if she left hers and Stephen's room.

 _It's not always rainbows and butterflies_

She snorted softly to herself. It hadn't been rainbows and butterflies in her life for quite some time.

Not even hers and Stephen's room was such a happy place.

But it was a safe place. And Via was willing to cling to as much of that feeling as hard as she could while it lasted, for she knew it wouldn't for very long.

 _Not once he finds out what I did to Russo…_

She curled tighter into herself, cursing herself as she felt the sudden damp spots that appeared as her eyes leaked tears.

 _Dammit why can't I stop crying?_

She was so distracted trying to compose herself she didn't hear Stephen step out of the bathroom, dressed in his sorcerer's blue sorcerer's robes and rubbing a towel over his hair.

 _My heart is full and my door's always open_

 _You come anytime you want, yeah._

He hummed, softly to himself as he passed her, one of his notes twanging slightly out of tune.

Via let loose a loud sniffle.

He paused and looked down on her puzzled. She had been asleep last time he'd checked in on her before going in for a bath.

The whole last debacle with Cassian and Mordo and Kaesilius had left the poor girl exceptionally knackered. Stephen himself had been very worried when she didn't even awaken during her treatment at the healers downstairs.

He knew magical combat could drain a person…but then again she was young…

 _But so was that Cassian Boy_

A voice in the back of his head growled savagely as he carefully leant down to examine her face.

Despite her best efforts to hide it, it was covered in tears.

"Via?" he murmured reaching out to put a hand carefully on her shoulder. "Olivia are you awake?

"Leave me alone" was the mumble he got from the mass of blankets and blonde curls.

Under normal circumstances, Stephen Strange would have rolled his eyes. He abhorred dealing with what he called scornfully in his head, teenage "high-school" drama. But there was something about the young girl's voice that he had to admit, kicked him emotionally in the gut.

He had seen Via sad before but this was…this was a whole new level. She looked broken, lost, confused. Like she'd been stabbed repeatedly in the heart over and over again.

 _She_ _ **was**_ _stabbed over and over again._

He reminded himself, his gut broiling as he remembered the healers peeling back the bandages over her wounded shoulders barely three hours ago and revealing horrible, half-healed gashes in her flesh, courtesy of the now late Fabian Russo.

Such savage, horrible wounds…sadistic...even in the OR he'd never seen anything like it. It looked like a vicious animal had purposefully tried to carve her up like a Thanksgiving turkey.

Heck, even Kaesilius hadn't injured him like that, and that madman had been out to destroy the world.

He sat down beside her, awkwardly trying not to jostle the mattress too much as he tried his best to gulp down on his own anger.

"Hey…" he gently shook her shoulder as he tried to prize her out of her pillows.

But she just stayed there, face buried into the soft plushness, lips trembling and eyes shut as she began to murmur frantically.

"It was just a nightmare wasn't it? That's all it was last night…just a nightmare."

"Via…" Stephen began but Via just continued rambling, her voice feverish and desperately quickening in pace.

"The Ancient One's going to come in and inspect our transmutation class, I know 'cause Meeta won't stop panicking about it, even though she tops our class-"

"Via…"

"and Cassian's still bunking with Arty. I'm…I'm supposed to be hanging out with them up on West tower at lunch to finish practicing that spell for Frell and then afterwards we've got training with Mordo-"

"Olivia-"

"-I-I don't know what he's got planned for today's session but from what he said last time it's not going to be easy and-"

"Olivia! Stop! Just stop!" Stephen barked, grabbing the girl hard by the arms and turning her over onto her back.

She stared up at him eyes wide with shock, though it was quick to turn back to tears.

"They're…they're not gone. They…they can't be…" She whispered up at him, pleadingly…imploringly.

Not for the first time in his life, Stephen wished he had Christine with him right now. She always knew how to talk to the patients and their unfortunate families. Back before Kamar-Taj he had often mocked her for her "bleeding heart". Now however, he found himself in need of it more than ever.

He might have been a better, more humble man than he had been a year ago, but he had not been kind nor gentle for a very long time and quite honestly, he was very rusty.

But old and rusty was all he could give her even as he sighed softly:

"I'm sorry Olivia. Really, I am"

He shut his eyes as he saw her own scrunch up with tears. Cowardly he knew, but still he could not bring himself to watch her crumble. That would be too much for him to take.

He was relieved when she turned away to sob back into her pillows. He could do this, he reasoned as he stroked a hand over her shoulder.

He could easily sit right there beside her until she fell back asleep, damn all the other meetings and council's the other Masters now wanted him to attend.

Sanctums could be easily rebuilt.

But mending the hurts of the heart was a far more delicate procedure.

Even for the great Doctor Stephen Strange.

* * *

 _Four hours…that's how long he sat with me until I fell asleep. He missed meeting with a couple of the other Masters just to sit with me. Needless to say I felt very guilty when I found out afterwards._

 _But Stephen just waved me off and said that he'd rather be sitting and chilling than having to listen to meeting talk._

 _But he was the new Master of the New York Sanctum and whether he liked it or not, he'd have to assume responsibility sometime soon. And boy did he do so magnificently._

* * *

"The good thing about the London Sanctum is that only the top level was ruined, many of the bottom levels where our families stayed were mostly left untouched." Master Peter Percival of the London Sanctum Sanctorum stated to the room at large.

Many of the other master's nodded in agreement, all save Master Fan who rolled his eyes.

"That still doesn't rule out the fact that it will be near impossible to amass enough magical power we need to complete the protective seal over the world. With the Ancient One gone and no one left to guard New York"

"Excuse me but what am I chopped liver?" Stephen Strange glowered sidelong at the older man who sneered back.

"You may have gained temporary allowances from the Ancient One during the battle Doctor, but I do not think-"

"It was not temporary," Wong snapped from where he stood Beside Percival and a small elderly Japanese woman with a face like a wrinkly old and very stern tortoise. She wore a plain red yukata with a plum obi, her white hair tied back in a traditional bun behind her head and held a short walking cane in her hand, which she pointed hard at Master Fan.

"Yes, indeed. The Ancient One would not simply hand out promotions to just about anyone. Not unless she felt the honor had been earned"

"I'm not saying he hasn't earned it Master Matsuyama" Master Fan, said uncomfortably through gritted teeth. "I'm just saying we should take into consideration the haste at which the decision was made-"

"you didn't seem to have a problem agreeing with her _hasty_ decisions when the Ancient One was alive" Percival narrowed his eyes towards his colleague who sneered back.

"Yes well, circumstances have changed haven't they? We have no Sorcerer Supreme to protect the world so we must be vigilant and careful of our next steps we take to secure our future."

"You think Master Strange is not capable of fulfilling his role as caretaker and guardian of New York?" Master Matsuyama quirked a brow.

Till this very day, Stephen had never met the old woman, now he had to admit for a tiny thing she sure knew how to keep a man sweating buckets with just her eyes.

Of course Master Fan wasn't as easily swayed as young Acolytes or apprentices, but even so he avoided her eye nervously as he answered to the room at large.

"All I'm asking is can we trust a relative newcomer, no matter how prodigious his skill is, with protecting one of our most sacred sites-"

"The Ancient One trusted him. That should be enough for you" Wong grunted, grateful that Stephen chose at that moment to blink tiredly.

His exhaustion it seemed was the only thing keeping his still slightly inflated ego in check.

"You look tired" Percival looked at Strange sympathetically.

"I am tired" Stephen groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"And the girl?" Master Matsuyama probed gently.

"Asleep…for now…" Stephen muttered, glaring as Master Fan's snorted with derision. "You got something to say Fan?"

"For a man of supposed intelligence, you sure waste a lot of time attending to that _little_ _guttersnipe's_ wellbeing"

"Fan" Wong and Percival both barked warningly as the former noticed Stephen's ears burn bright red.

When Stephen spoke his voice was like ice.

"You seem to forget, _Fan_ that if it weren't for that _little guttersnipe_ , your brat wouldn't be alive today."

"One good deed does not absolve one of a lifetime of bad choices" Fan muttered and Wong groaned as he saw Stephen's eyes flash with anger. About his shoulders the Cloak of Levitation, flared out like a lizard's frill as it threatened to fly off his shoulders.

But Stephen thankfully put a hand up to the collar and it stayed put. When he spoke his tones were of ice and stone.

"And what the hell did you mean by that?"

Master Fan did not move a muscle, but stayed rooted to the spot as he met the Doctor's death glare with one of his own.

"That little brat may have pulled the wool over all your eyes, but don't you think for one moment that she is innocent in all this. Kaesilius was already out of his mind when he turned, and so was Fabian Russo, but Cassian was still very much sane when I last saw him. Though he was manipulating on behalf of his father, he still wasn't that off the rails that he'd completely turned. According to the reports, it was only after that brat was brought to Hong Kong that he turned on us."

"Or Kaesilius pinned the blame on her for whatever happened to force him to turn" Wong interjected before Stephen could open his mouth to retort. "Whilst I admit Cassian's fall from grace was unexpected to say the least, I think you'll find yourself very outnumbered if you think for one second that this changes anything about Olivia Sorenson's future as a sorcerer. You can insult and bad mouth the girl all you want, but it won't change the fact that the Ancient One had already made provisions for her stay, long before Kaesilius's attack"

That pulled Stephen up short.

"What do you mean?" he blinked.

"All will be revealed shortly, once you recover the Ancient One's body is recovered from that hospital in New York" Master Matsuyama nodded graciously "But perhaps you can arrange to do that tomorrow after you've fully rested. The Ancient One wouldn't want us to run ourselves down straight after such a threat has passed over us"

"Right of course" Stephen muttered.

"Then I guess this meeting is adjourned" Percival sighed, his shoulders sagging. "I will return to London and fully assess the extent of the damages before tomorrow."

"As will I at Hong Kong" Master Matsuyama stated. "Master Strange, you should get some rest before tomorrow. Wong can start making the preparations to move you into the New York Sanctum."

"M-move?" Stephen spluttered and Percival smirked.

"Oh yes. The keepers of the Sanctums must live in them to keep an eye on things. With so many magical artifacts collected in one spot, it's dangerous to leave the place alone to fend for itself."

"But Olivia and I, we share-"

"We can sort that all out tomorrow Strange. For now you should rest" Master Matsuyama ordered gently, her eyes glaring at Master Fan.

And Stephen soon saw why. The other master was staring at the eye of Agamotto which sat over his blue tunic.

"Something you need Master Fan?" Stephen clipped.

"No…nothing" Master Fan waved him off dismissively, but Stephen could still see the glint in those green eyes.

At once, unbidden words from months before wafted over his mind.

 _There are many relics in these halls, some more powerful than others, some which others might do anything to get their hands on._

He felt his chest constrict a little as he made to squash the voice down. He still could not believe Mordo had gone. Mordo, a man steadfast strong and seemingly unmovable…had just simply vanished off the face of the Earth…

He rubbed a scarred hand over his face as he strode out through the library only to have his way blocked by someone much shorter.

It was an Indian girl with a long plait and a slightly mousy face dressed in a red tunic and pants.

"What the-Oh…Meeta" he grunted down to the girl who was looking both worried and nervous as they addressed him.

"H-hey Doctor Strange" Meeta gulped "I-is the meeting over?"

"Just finished." Stephen muttered and then quickly added "is everything …uh okay? Where's Arthur?"

Meeta looked down to her toes with a soft sad sigh.

"Arty's with his parents. His uncle was just confirmed to have been at London when Kaesilius attacked and…well he…Not to mention Cass just wigging out like that…I mean Cass was my friend too but he and Arty…they were _best_ friends, brothers, y'know and…and…"

She trailed off and Stephen felt the pain in his gut increase tenfold.

It was one thing to know that his roommate was suffering, but he had almost forgotten all the other innocents caught up in the mess.

"I'm sorry to hear that." He said and was relieved to hear the sincerity in his own voice come through without a waver this time.

"Yeah…it's been pretty shit." Meeta nodded to a bookshelf before turning back to glance nervously up at him. "How's Vee? She looked a right awful mess when you brought her in yesterday"

"She's…she's sleeping now. The healer said she needs to rest it off for a few days." Stephen muttered and Meeta deflated a little.

"Oh…right…well I guess I better let her be then. I'll…I'll probably see her later."

She turned around to walk away, but stopped as Stephen called after her:

"Wait, kid!"

"Yeah?" Meeta looked back hopefully.

Stephen gulped a little.

"Maybe…maybe you could come around tomorrow. I'm going to be going to New York to prepare a few things…so maybe you could keep an eye on her while I'm out?"

 _Pathetic_

Even his own brain was facepalming at his own social ineptitude. Being a nice, openly caring person was not as easy as it looked.

But it seemed to do the trick and after telling an eager Meeta exactly what time she was to be there at the rooms to take over his vigil, quickly made his way back up to his rooms, not noticing the footsteps that tailed him all the way up.

* * *

 _I had no idea how long I was out for. All I knew was that when I woke up the next day, Meeta was sitting beside my bed and reading from one of the library books from Stephen's desk._

 _She told me about all that happened since I fell asleep. How Kamar-Taj was dealing with the aftershocks. Many apprentices and acolytes had been killed at London, but thankfully only few masters had suffered at the hands of the Zealots, Master Daniel Drumm, the late keeper of the New York Sanctum amongst them._

 _I never really knew him. He had once come as a guest lecturer a few months before the attack, talking to our class about the history of Ancient magical practices like Voodoo and such, but apart from that any connection was virtually non-existent._

 _However, amidst the news of the deaths of strangers, came far harder hitting news._

 _It turns out that Arty was staying with his folks for a while whilst they prepared the funeral for his favorite uncle and all those other sorcerers who died fighting Kaesilius in London._

 _To this day, I can't even imagine what he must have been going through on his end. Up till that horrendous battle in the Mirror Dimension I'd never lost anyone precious to me, if only because I had never had anyone I'd been that close to for nearly all my life. I'd never had parents or uncles or aunts, and in all honesty a part of me was envious that he even had family to grieve for._

 _Whilst I was sad the Ancient One-no Neala- was gone from my life, I was also at peace with the fact she'd no longer be there. Maybe it had been like that because she herself was contented with her own passing that I was able to accept it._

 _Either way, even if I knew and had accepted she'd be gone from my life forever, it still didn't stop me missing her …not even as I made to sneak out of my rooms as Meeta napped on my bed…_

* * *

The corridor was dark, but Via didn't really care as she made to lean out the window at the end of it. It was overlooking the courtyard, which for once was completely empty and dead as a cemetery.

 _Cemetery seems about right_

She stared blankly out over the view. The sun was beginning to set, staining the clouds various shades of gold and pink. And yet all of Kamar-Taj was quiet.

Nearly all of it.

"Whoever you are, leave me alone" she snapped as the sound of footsteps approached her from behind.

She didn't even turn around to face the newcomer, whom she recognized from the sneer behind her to be Master Fan.

"Still a rude and impudent child I see"

"Still a jackass I see" Via snorted, folding her arms as she kept her eyes fixed on the view outside. The colors were soft and soothing…

Too bad Master Fan's voice wasn't.

"So, cold" he hissed as he strode up closer towards her. "Were you this ruthless with your bare hands when you _killed_ Fabian Russo?"

Now Via turned to look at him, her eyes wide with fear.

Master Fan only smirked.

"Oh please, you might have your dear doctor and poor Wong eating out of the palms of your hands, but I know a guilty murderer when I see one."

"Takes one to know one does it?" Via gulped, trying and failing to keep herself steady as she felt her shoulders both throb. In the back of her head she felt Asmund and Brynja both growl softly.

Master Fan didn't advance on her. He just folded his arms smugly and looked down on the young acolyte with what could only be described as smug victory.

"I wonder what Doctor Strange would have to say if someone told him his little friend was capable of committing a cold blooded-"

"How dare you-" Via growled, fists clenching as golden energy danced around both her bracelets and her dream-catcher.

But Master Fan was not perturbed, his smirk only widened.

"Wow, you fight in one battle and you think you are now ready to face the evils of the world head on. Let me be kind then and give you a little advice _Sorenson._ You may wear your title and relics like heirlooms of your station, but under all of that you are still the same miserable, nasty dreg you were when you dragged your muddy shoes in here. Once people stop looking out of those hero worship rose colored lenses and start to see that, they won't be so kind and generous towards you. So do yourself a favor next time you parade yourself around these halls and think long and hard about where you truly _deserve_ to be. It shouldn't take long, seeing as you should only look at the mud under your feet."

He turned to leave but stopped as Via spoke to his back.

"You know…for a man who's supposed to be a master sorcerer…you really are a coward"

Via straightened up as she saw the green eyes widen at her in surprise.

"What did you just call me?"

"You heard me" Via matched his stare with a fierce one of her own as she stormed up towards him to get right up in his face. "C-O-W-A-R-D. _Coward_. You could take me on any time you wanted over the past few months, but you only choose to skulk around behind my back and take a kick at me when see me knocked down. In my experience, only a coward does something that _pitiful_. I can only guess that Mai gets her courage from somewhere else because even if she is a bitch she at least has the balls to face danger head on when time calls for it,"

Master Fan's nostrils flared as he glared down at the young woman, who took a step back to shoulder him painfully as she pushed her way past him down the corridor.

It hurt her injured shoulders like mad, but it was well worth hearing the old Master angrily spluttering indignantly behind her.

* * *

 _It was nighttime when Stephen came back from New York. I waited up for him on my own, Meeta having long since left to check on Arty for me. It was a good thing I did, because he came back with a pleasant surprise._

 _New York Chinese takeout, which we ate together in the room._

 _I had to admit, despite feeling like shit, being like this back in the room with Stephen felt…nice…really nice…_

 _In all honesty, I was very reluctant to ever set foot outside of it. I guess I was just too afraid of being sent my way by everyone else…by Stephen…_

* * *

"So let me get this straight-" The doctor scowled over at Via through a mouthful of noodles.

After a small tiff about not letting her eat on her bed, he had pulled both their desks away from the wall and had made a makeshift dinner table in the center of their shared bedroom.

It was the first time that day Via had ever gotten off her bed, and boy was her back stiff and sore. She was grateful to have Stephen's amusing scowl to distract her as he continued to question her.

"-Your birth mother was a Master Sorcerer. The Ancient One's ex-protégé slash heir. Fabian Russo was her partner in the field, and wanted to kill you to get revenge for something your mother supposedly did to him over fifteen years ago?"

"More or less" Via shrugged morosely as she shoveled some rice into her mouth with a plastic fork.

"And Cassian was his-" Stephen tried to prompt but Via's death glare just shut him up quickly.

"Right no talk about exes" he muttered to himself, only to blink as a sudden thought hit him.

"Stephen?" Via frowned as she watched him squirm in his seat. Was it just her or did he look…nervous?

"This Russo guy…he didn't by chance mention…uh… who your father was… did he?"

"No…" Via sighed heavily "Even he didn't know who – to use his words – _sired_ me. He said my mom kinda avoided relationships in general. Called her a cold-hearted bitch, or something along those lines…" She looked down into her bowl of stew.

"A bit rich coming from the likes of him, isn't it? The murdering psychopath" Stephen snorted the last bit under his breath and was pleased to see the corners of her mouth twitch upwards for just a spilt second.

But then it was gone as her eyes grew over-bright and wet.

 _Brilliant, Strange. Brilliant. You made her cry again_

He cursed himself reaching out towards her again, but this time Via just swatted him off.

"I'm fine. I'm fine. Just…don't…let's not go there okay? Just…just tell me…tell me what's going on with Neala. How did it go getting her body back from the hospital?"

"It went well-wait who's Neala?" Stephen frowned in confusion.

"Oh…right sorry" Via sniffed as she pinched her nose hard "The-The Ancient One… Neala that's the Ancient One's actual name"

Stephen stared at her dumbfounded.

"How on Earth did you find that out?"

"I-uh…I asked her and she told me"

"When?"

"When she wanted that last talk…y'know at New York after you'd come back after being stabbed and spilled the beans about her immortality" Via mumbled scrubbing hard at her eyes, her chest aching.

Stephen felt his own chest constrict slightly at the memory. Whatever anger and betrayal he had felt towards the once immortal woman was now replaced by shame.

If he had been a little more sensitive about such a topic, she might've been alive…and Mordo wouldn't have-

"It wasn't your fault" Via's mumble tore him out of his reverie. "Someone was bound to confront her about it sooner or later"

"And you didn't?" Stephen wondered aloud "Even though you knew?"

"Oh no I confronted her ASAP" Via shook her head "But no…I didn't reveal her secret"

"Any particular reason or-" Stephen leaned forwards slightly and Via's lips quirked upwards.

"No…it just was not my secret to tell. Besides, for all I knew she was the only thing keeping me off the streets and safe in these walls…" she trailed off, her expression now troubled as she chewed on a piece of honeyed chicken.

"I guess now she's gone…and now Mordo's gone I'm not exactly going to be much welcome, here am I? I've been nothing but trouble since the day I arrived anyway…And now Neala's gone they've no excuse to…keep me here…"

Stephen watched her most carefully as she seemed to lose herself in thought. For the first time since he'd ever met her, she looked older than she was. If he was being quite honest with himself, she reminded him (somewhat painfully) of the Ancient One what with that thoughtful mature, seemingly omniscient gaze staring out of her pale young face.

And then there was her voice.

It was quiet, sad. But it was not the sadness of her heartbreak that had clouded her face for most of today. She looked more bittersweet than anything, as if she were resigning herself to face an all too familiar future.

For some reason…the sight made him angry…

He didn't know much about handling children, but he knew that they shouldn't have had to be so mature that quickly in life, or at least that's how he felt.

 _And they call her guttersnipe?_

He took a gulp of his cup of water, placing it back on the table with a thud that suggested it had done him grave insult as he tried to reign in his already pushed temper as he said:

"You haven't been asked to leave have you?"

Via flushed red.

"W-well no…but I'm still injured so maybe they still feel sorry for me and-"

"Has anyone told you to leave?" Stephen repeated firmly. "Olivia?"

But Via just stayed silent and continued chewing on her food.

* * *

 _I know…I probably should've told him about Fan._

 _But in all honesty, I was too afraid that if I told him, he'd find out what I had done and he'd dump me by the wayside._

 _You can scoff and roll your eyes at me all you want. You can try to comfort me and tell me that it wasn't my fault. That I had acted out in self-defense. But that still won't shake the solid truth that I had killed Fabian Russo, and that whilst I felt terrible for the hurting Cassian, I otherwise did not feel any regret for stabbing Asmund into that sick bastard's flesh._

 _In fact, I think a part of me kinda enjoyed it._

 _And knowing that, freaked me out more than you can imagine._

* * *

The sunlight was soft and golden as it filtered through the small window above Stephen Strange's bed, bathing him in an extra blanket of warmth.

 _Hmm…that feels nice…_

He smiled drowsily as he opened his eyes, only to wince as bright light hit his eyes.

"Ow…" he hissed rubbing his eyes to rid them of the bright ball of sun now burned into his retina.

Blinking several times to right himself he stretched up to the ceiling…only to stop dead in his tracks as he caught something in the corner of his eye.

An empty bed on the opposite end of the small room.

"Olivia?" He called, quickly swinging his legs over the side of his bed and leaping up to his feet.

In two quick strides, he was at the closed Bathroom door and wrapping on it hard.

"Olivia, are you in there?"

There was nothing but silence.

"Olivia, I'm going to come in now" he called, but even as he barged straight into the empty space, he knew it was of no use.

Though that did not quell his growing dread in the slightest.

"Goddamnit, you stupid, _stupid_ girl. Where are you?" he growled turning back to the main room, eyes sweeping over her side.

Her bed was made and neat. The desk empty, her satchel gone from its spot at the foot of her bed.

His fists shook as he all but flung open the door to their shared cupboard and found it completely empty.

It was at this moment the door to the room chose to open.

"Stephen, are you awake. It's time to-" Wong stopped dead in his tracks as he stared at the doctor.

"Stephen?"

Stephen turned to face him slowly, his face pale as parchment. When he spoke, he sounded like he'd been kicked in the guts.

"She's gone…Olivia's gone…"

"What?" Wong snapped, his head finally finding Via's empty bed.

He swore softly under his breath.

"That girl! What is she thinking?"

"I don't know" Stephen admitted though his angry growl was marred by a small waver "but she's taken all her stuff with her. Including her sling ring."

"If that's the case she could be anywhere" Wong groaned.

"Maybe…." Stephen frowned softly.

"I take it you're going to search for her then?" Wong quirked a brow.

"Of course I am" Stephen snapped as he reached to his side of the wardrobe and pulled out his own clothes "We can't just let her run around like this! She could get herself hurt or worse!"

"And what if she doesn't want to be found?" Wong muttered.

"I don't care if she wants to be found or not. She's in danger as long as she's out there" Stephen growled savagely as he tugged on his tunic "I'll drag her back here myself if that's what it takes"

"If that's the case then I'll get Percival to go to the hospital and retrieve the Ancient One in your stead." Wong sighed "He should be able to smooth things out without-"

But Wong was forced to stop as a now fully dressed Stephen Strange all but flew out the door, the Cloak of Levitation swooping after him.

Wong rolled his eyes to the ceiling.

The Kamar-Taj librarian did not believe in such things as heaven, but if such a place had existed, he would be willing to bet the Ancient One was sitting up there, looking down on him with her infuriating all-knowing smirk.

"You just had to pick me to watch over them…didn't you?"

* * *

 _"_ _I know where you hide alone in your car. Know all of the things that make you who you are. I know that goodbye means nothing at all. Comes back and begs me to catch her every time she falls"_

The lyrics left her lips in a low hum as she walked along the path.

It was dark in Central Park. Four hours had passed since she had left Kamar-Taj and now it was almost midnight.

 _Who'd have thought that barely a day ago, this city was about to be destroyed into oblivion?_

She inhaled deeply, letting the smell of New York wash over her and engulf her in its familiar embrace.

She might not have liked much about her life on the streets, but she had to admit she had missed the peacefulness of the park at nig-

She stiffened as a bush rustled on her left.

 _Just the wind…keep walking…_

She gulped to herself as she quickened her pace, her feet steering her towards a clump of trees.

Her heart began to hammer as she heard the rustling foliage transform into an extra pair of footsteps. They tried to stalk behind her, but her ears were far too keen and sensitive to be fooled.

 _If I can get to one of the trees and climb with my powers I might be safe…_

She was now walking so fast she was almost jogging. Behind her she could hear her pursuer's soft puffs of breath.

"Well look what we have here"

Via cried out in alarm as something suddenly jumped out from in front of her.

It was a man, filthy disheveled and wearing dark jeans and a cruddy hooded sweater. His eyes glinted as they beheld the young girl before him.

Via cursed herself as she followed his gaze. Not wanting to attract attention with her Kamar-Taj training clothes, she had dressed herself in the dress and jacket Cassian had transformed for her on their first date. They had been the only normal clothes she now owned, though now she was sorely regretting choosing them as the less than savory character before her licked his lips at her black stockinged legs.

Via backed away from him fists clenching as she prepared herself to fight, only to jump as two shadows appeared on either side of her peripheral vision.

Three attackers…all of them far bigger than her and far stronger

She gritted her teeth, as she held her arms up in a defensive stance. On either side of her, the men grinned lecherously as he reached for her.

But Via had already swatted him back hard with a swipe of her hand. She felt something move behind her and wheeled around just in time to feel a punch hit her gut.

She fell to the ground, her knees scraping painfully against rough earth and grass as someone pressed their knee into her stomach pinning her down.

"Let go of me. You sick-twisted-" She struggled hard, nails reaching out and clawing at the arms whoever was trying to hold her down

"Wow, well aren't you a little scrapper" one of the men grunted as he and one of his fellows made to hold her down by both arms, one of them holding a knife to her neck as their leader knelt by Via's feet.

"Good. I like them feisty." He smirked, his hand flying down to clamp itself over Via's mouth.

"Asmu-mph!"

"Uh-uh-uh sweet-cheeks." He tutted mockingly one hand reaching down to the waistband of his jeans "Can't have you ruining our fun now can we."

"Hurry up Greg" the man on Via's right groaned "Show us what's under those tights. I bet she must be real pink down there."

Via glared, struggling now harder than ever as she tried kicking her legs. But Greg only held her down fast as he sidled his way in between her legs, his pants now loose around his hips.

"Come on sweet-cheeks, show me whatcha got…" he hissed his hand sliding up her thighs, sweeping dangerously under her skirts and up to the waistband of her tights-

 _WHAM!_

Both her captors on her sides yelled in shock as a large fist collided with the side of Greg's face, smashing his nose into a mess of broken bone and blood that was spurting and streaming from his face in torrents even before he had hit the ground.

But Via had no time to watch him fall as the same punching hand suddenly grabbed the man on her right and flung him aside. It wasn't just a shove, it was a literal throw. He rose up a few feet off the ground and slammed into a tree.

Via wrenched herself free of the last man, ducking as her savior grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and slammed him straight down into the ground hard, knocking him clean out.

There was a clicking sound and Via looked up to see Greg holding up a gun readying it to fire in the direction of her savior.

"Look out!" She cried as she lunged at the hulking shadow, pushing him (she was only guessing it was male) down just in time as the shot fired, closely followed by a second round.

"Stay down" A man's voice called over the loud bang and Via squeaked as a hand suddenly grabbed her and pushed her down before her savior dove for Greg. The man's shriek of terror quickly transformed into a gurgle and splutter as he was struck down, out cold like his two other friends.

Via panted for breath, her heart hammering at her ribcage like a fast Benny Rich drum solo as she watched her rescuer get to his feet, his face slightly cast in shadow. He was tall over six foot and heavily built. His muscles bulged against the dark but warm winter wear he wore over them. His hair likewise was dark and hung about his shoulders scruffily from under a dark baseball cap.

When he glanced back at her over his shoulder.

He was handsome she supposed, or at least he would have been if he didn't look so sinister. His jaw was coated with rugged, rough stubble over his strong jaw and a stern frown that could've frozen fire in its wake. But what really got Via was his blue eyes, intense…almost haunted.

She knew those eyes…she'd seen them once before in this very park barely a month ago...the eyes who belonged to that strange man that had stood on a bridge looking wistfully over the water...

"You…" She breathed.

The man stayed silent, sucking in a deep calming breath as he flexed his hands, Via followed the motion curiously, her eyes briefly drawn to the exposed skin on his left hand…

But was it skin?

Something silvery glinting from under the glove on his left arm…

"Hello! Is anyone out there?"

Via jumped where she sat with a squeak, eyes darting around for the source of the yell, which seemed to come from somewhere through the trees she'd first come through.

There was a rustle of something heavy on grass and Via whipped her head back to her rescuer…only to find a blank patch of grass and three bodies of unconscious men lying around her.

"What the-" she gasped as someone crashed through the undergrowth towards her.

It was another man, tall and muscular, blonde haired and blue eyed and wearing winter sports gear. His gaze was worried as he took in the scene he'd stumbled onto. …and infuriatingly familiar. She'd seen this man's face somewhere before. Where was it? The News?

Via felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment as she noticed her legs were spread apart right in the man's line of vision as he rushed over to her.

"Woah, hey you okay kid? What happened?" a Brooklyn accent issued from the man surprising Via.

 _He looks like more of a Manhatten man…._

"I-I-I" she spluttered, shutting her legs promptly as the man knelt beside her.

"Are you alright" he repeated gently and Via nodded wincing as her shoulders began to throb once more.

"Did they-" the man asked but she shook her head.

"No…no they were hurting before they…" she trailed off as her eyes wandered to where her satchel was lying on the ground a few feet away.

The man followed her gaze and quietly reached out for it before depositing it gently in her lap.

"Th-thanks" Via shivered as a sudden gust of biting icy wind blew past.

"Are…are you okay to stand miss…?" the man paused and Via felt her ears burn as those blue eyes bore into her face. Unlike her rescuer's eyes they were clear and bright, and whilst there was a certain weary sense of age about them, there was also something warm and comforting.

"Olivia…Olivia Sorenson" Via blurted out before she could stop herself, "I-I mean Summers, but Sorenson too and…uh…Sorenson-Summers?" her stomach churning oddly.

When on Earth had she started referring to herself as Sorenson? No wait forget that, when on Earth had she ever introduced herself as Olivia. It was always Via. Only Stephen and Mordo and the Ancient One had ever called her by her full first name…no…now only Stephen called her Olivia.

 _Stephen…_

She sighed softly under her breath, clutching her satchel close to her. Just a few hours ago she had been sitting and eating take-out dinner with him in that little room. Everything had seemed safe…secure…warm…

Warm…she'd never known what it really meant to be warm before Kamar-Taj. And now she'd had a taste of it she found herself surprisingly reluctant to let it go.

 _But if he knew what I was…what I had done…that would all just go away anyway and I'd still be out here cold on the street-_

She was bolted out of her dismal thoughts as she glanced up to the good Samaritan beside her only to find to her horror that he was talking on his phone.

"Yeah, I found a girl she seems to have been attacked by three men. Where are they? They're unconscious. Someone seems to have beaten them up, you might need to-"

"Wha-wait who are you calling?" Via looked around worriedly.

"The police." the man quickly whispered before turning around back to the phone, not noticing that the young girls' face turning the color of parchment.

The Police? He was calling the police?

 _Crap if they find out who I am…_

Via gulped down several large breaths as her brain raced through with horrible thoughts.

If the police came they'd find out she was a ward of the state, and if she was a ward of the state she'd either get sent back to the orphanage or the State Juvie or worse!

She had to get out, she had to run. She had Asmund, she had Brynja, she had the Web of Asibikaashi, and she had a sling ring. She should just quickly get the drop on this guy and teleport herself…

Teleport herself…

Where the hell would she go?

Where?

"Hey kid what's wrong?" the man put both his hands on her shoulders as he tried to look her in the eye.

"I-I'm sorry" she muttered surprising herself as her feet remained rooted where they were. Why wasn't she running? Why wasn't she taking the man down with her powers?

"Are you feeling light headed? Do you need to sit down?" the man asked gently, and Via was surprised by the sincerity in his tones.

He was a virtual stranger, he shouldn't be this worried for her safety and wellbeing. No human being was this nice a person without an ulterior motive. And yet for all her shrewd assessing of this man, she could not find a single thing that told her he had an agenda.

She almost rolled her eyes only to stumble back as her shoulders throbbed again.

She was vaguely aware of the man helping her back down to sit on the ground, this time positioning her against a tree so she could lean back against it comfortably.

"Better?" he asked and she nodded.

"Better…" then she snorted "So are you gonna introduce herself or are you gonna just be the nameless good Samaritan with goodness gleaming from out your backside?"

The man looked at her in surprise, obviously taken aback by her brusqueness. But he was quick to master himself.

"It's Steve…Steve Rogers" the man, Steve, coughed and held out a hand for her to shake.

Via took it and almost winced as she felt the muscles in his hands. Damn even they were ripped.

She tried to keep her eyes down to her knees but was distracted as Steve now made to ask:

"Listen kid I know it's probably none of my business but…but what are you doing out here?"

"Shopping for my next Christmas tree" Via rolled her eyes sardonically "I was walking."

"Walking where?"

"Does it really matter?" Via snapped gripping her satchel close to herself "I was walking, these bozos tried to attack me, some guy saved me, then he vanished when you came along. That's it, end of story."

"Hey, I'm just trying to help-"

"And for that I'm grateful I can assure you. And anyway, why the hell are you out here running in the middle of the night?" Via grunted. Even if she couldn't fight him off she could still piss him off, and quite frankly it felt good venting her frustrations through bitching at a perfect stranger…even if he was good-looking and did look extremely familiar. Damn where _had_ she seen his face?

It didn't help her frustration when he sighed heavily.

"I couldn't sleep so I decided to take a jog. Listen…I know it's been a rough night. And I know you're scared-" – Via scoffed under her breath – "-but I swear. I just want to help you. Now if you want me to leave you alone, I'll leave you alone, but only once the police get here and I'm sure you're okay"

"Am I alive?" She asked. Steve frowned but nodded all the same.

"Do I look like I'm going to drop dead at any moment?"

He shook his head.

"Then I'm okay. Your job's halfway done already" she grumbled.

There was a silence for a moment and then to her great surprise, Steve started chuckling.

"What?" Via scowled.

"Sorry…it's just…you reminded me of someone I used to know. He used to talk like that too"

She was spared the frustration of talking with this man any further by the arrival of two people, or rather two policemen.

 _Crap, how did they get here so fast?_

"Hey, what's goin' on 'ere?" one of the men growled only to stop short as they recognized Steve beside her.

"Hi officer" he replied and Via was surprised to see him look rather sheepish as the two policemen stared dumbstruck.

"C-C-C-Captain America?" one of the officers blurted out as his fellow quickly slapped him on the back to rid him of the stutters.

He wasn't the only one surprised.

 _Captain America? Of course, I didn't have to be found by a normal person. It just had to be the biggest goodie two-shoes patriot of them all, Captain Frigging America!_

"You've got to be kidding me…" Via groaned.

* * *

 _Yeah…I was found out in the cold by Captain America and rescued by…well…we'll get to that bit later._

 _Oh yes, there is more._

 _And believe me it's just as insane as what's happened so far._

* * *

"Stephen what the-? What the hell are you doing here?" Christine Palmer cried out as none other than Stephen Strange himself strode straight out the storage closet she had just been about to go inside.

"Hello to you too" Stephen grumbled as he stopped in the middle of the corridor, running a hand over his greying temples. "Dammit where could she be?"

"What you meant the strange lady you brought in? She's still downstairs" Christine frowned her panic growing as Stephen began to stride up the corridor towards the nurses administration desk.

"Whoa-whoa! Wait a moment Stephen, wait!" Christine quickly stood in his way, trying to herd him backwards towards the door before anyone spotted him red cape and all. "What's going on? I thought you were coming back tomorrow at six for the body?"

"I'm not here for the body Christine, I'm here to find someone" Stephen wanted to struggle, but resisted the urge as he was once more shoved into the closet. Any push from him would now send her flying.

"Who? Who are you looking for?" Christine tried saying calmly, though he could tell her temper was sorely getting pushed.

He sighed heavily.

"Olivia. My roommate."

"You mean the teenager?"

"Yeah the teenager. She ran away and we can't find her."

"And you think she might be here?" Christine quirked an eyebrow.

"I don't know" Stephen admitted with a bitter mutter "But Wong suggested she might be hiding somewhere close to where the-the Ancient One might be."

"And the Ancient One is the woman who's body we've got-"

"Downstairs in the morgue. Yes" Stephen bristled "I know it seems a bit…macabre…but Olivia she's…she's still hurt …she's scared. So much has happened to her and she's not thinking straight. She was close to the Ancient One and maybe-"

"Maybe she thinks being near her will be safe for her" Christine finished softly. "I guess it makes sense. Most kids try to run to places or people that feel safe for them when they're frightened."

Stephen nodded, and Christine was astonished to see a flicker of annoyance flash over his eyes as he ground his teeth. She knew that look all too well. She had seen it so many times when he was in the middle of a very stressful surgery, the look he always wore when he was nearly at his wits end with worry.

She started laughing.

She couldn't help it. If someone had told her a year ago Stephen Strange would be worried about a teenage kid, she'd have locked them up in a straight-jacket.

"I'm sorry." She tried coughing to compose herself and failed miserably as she snorted "I'm sorry it's just-Wow…you're really concerned about this kid aren't you?"

Stephen glared at her. A kid was missing and his ex-girlfriend was laughing at him.

 _You probably look a right old mess_

A small part of his brain, the part that was still the egotistical doctor, sniggered but he squashed it instantly as Christine finally stopped laughing.

"Okay, okay don't give me that look, I'll help you look for her. But first can you please just change into something a little less…uh…hocus pocus?"

"Hocus Pocus?"

"Just change into something normal okay! It'll make it a lot easier to move around without you looking like you stepped out of some shaolin kung-fu movie."

"I cannot believe you just called me hocus pocus" Stephen rolled his eyes irritably, but was quick to shrug his shoulders. At once the Cloak of Levitation lifted from his shoulders, hovering eerily behind him (much to Christine's discomfort).

With a quick wave of his hands Stephen transfigured his blue sorcerers garb into a simple white shirt, black trousers and matching jacket.

"Well that's handy" Christine snorted as she watched her ex quietly hold his arm out. His cape dutifully followed the gesture and settled itself to drape over the arm, so that now it more like a second velvety coat he was carrying as he strode out the door.

"Stephen-argh!" Christine growled as she stormed after him.

 _That man…some things just don't change._

It took all she had not to face palm as several of the nurses at the reception desk gawked openly at Stephen who just scowled harshly at them, not liking the way their gazes all lingered on his scarred hands.

"Don't you all have something to do? Or are you getting paid to just sit and gape like dead fish?"

"Stephen!" Christine barked just as the phone rang from behind a desk.

One of the nurses picked it up, a middle aged motherly looking dark skinned lady, shaking her head to clear it as she answered, only to stop dead in her tracks.

"Uh okay…excuse me one second- Doctor Strange!" she called just in time to stop Stephen before he could storm out the door.

"What is it Julie?" he narrowed his eyes over his shoulder.

"There's a policeman on the phone. He wants to speak to you about a-wait hold on a second-I'm sorry officer what were you-oh…"

"What is it?" Stephen strode up to the desk, his heart hammering with anticipation as he watched Julie continued to answer the phone.

"Uh-huh. Uh-huh I got you. Yes, he's right here hold on a second."

She passed the phone over the desk towards him. He snatched it eagerly.

"Hello, this is Doctor Strange" he almost surprised himself with how calm and professional his voice was. He could only guess he was responding on autopilot response, as he so often did whilst in the hospital.

He sucked in a deep breath of that clean sterile hospital air, letting its familiarity soothe him as the voice on the other end gulped nervously:

"Doctor Strange, this is Officer Jefferson. I'm calling you about your ward Olivia Summers-"

* * *

 _I wasn't sure what possessed me to say it._

 _It just slipped out. When the two officers just started questioning me about what I was doing out there and who my parents were…I don't know what I was thinking. All I knew was that I didn't want to go back to the orphanage, or to Juvie…or even back to the streets._

 _It was strange (pun not intended), but as soon as they asked me who my legal guardian was the first and only thing that popped into my head was Stephen's face._

 _And before I could stop myself I was saying his name. To my surprise one of the policemen knew who I was talking about. Said that apparently, Stephen was a hot-shot world famous neuro-surgeon at some big hospital in the city._

 _I will admit I wasn't expecting that. I mean I knew Stephen was a good doctor before he lost his hands, but I had never known he was one of the best in one of the most difficult fields of medicine. There were many things we'd talked about when we were first living together, his old career was not one of them._

 _To my even greater surprise, when the officer tried to call the hospital to check if he was there, Stephen picked up the phone. I don't know what he was doing there. Maybe he was there to check on the Ancient One before they moved her body?_

 _I never did find out why such a thing was able to happen so conveniently._

 _Though I always suspected that there was a certain Ancient Mystical Ghost pulling the strings of fate, even from beyond the grave._

 _And for once, I was grateful for her interference…_

 _Just as I was grateful that Stephen came to get me from Central Park._

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want to press charges?" Officer Jefferson asked Via for the umpteenth time.

She looked over her shoulder, to where Steve Rogers was helping Jefferson's partner load the three, now semi-conscious thugs into paramedic's stretchers.

"I'm sure. Besides I don't think they'll be so stupid as to do the same stupid thing again after this" she sighed, only to shiver as she felt the cold wind bite into her stockinged legs.

As she rubbed her arms to herself, she cocked her head to the side.

Was it just her, or was the that the sound of a Sling Ring Portal appearing in the distance.

"no way…" She breathed as she saw a figure suddenly appear in the dark, tall and striding towards her with the speed of a hurricane.

Yes way.

It was Stephen and boy was he looking pissed. His light eyes were stormy as he strode up the path towards her, his cloak billowing back from where it was slung over his arm as he strode in jackets and pants in the cold wind, the Eye of Agamotto, peeking out a little from under his shirt.

When he saw Via, his face contorted.

Crap she was in for an earful.

"Hey Stephen" she sighed.

"Don't 'hey' me kid. What the hell were you doing? Running off in the middle of the night like this? Do you have any idea how worried we've all been? Wong's beside himself and both Meeta and Arthur are running around panicking like headless chickens trying to find you." Stephen scowled ignoring the policeman beside him who looked as if he wanted nothing more than to sink back into the nearby tree.

"I know…I'm sorry" She rubbed her face in her hands "It was dumb I know-"

"Tch! no kidding" Stephen rolled his eyes, but his face softened as he reached out towards her. "What were you thinking? You were almost hurt-"

"I know" Via groaned.

"-and your shoulders-"

"I know"

"-what if something-"

"Oh for god's sake can we just stop arguing and go home!" Via cried out, only to clap a hand over her mouth.

Now that had NOT meant to come out of her mouth.

Stephen stared at her as she fumbled for a full minute, before admitting defeat and falling back into silence.

He sighed heavily, now pinching his own brow as he fought back the headache of tiredness and exhaustion threatening to creep up on him.

"Okay, fine. We'll go back and talk about this tomorrow." He turned to face the police officer. "Thank you officer, we'll be going now"

"Of…of course" the officer gulped.

But no sooner had Via and Stephen walked three paces, did Via pause and turn back around.

"What is it?" Stephen mumbled irritably but already Via was striding back up towards Steve Rogers, who had finished with the paramedics and had been watching the exchange with intrigue.

He was very much surprised to find the young girl stop in front of him and inhale a deep steeling breath.

"Listen I know I was a bit of a brat before. But…but I just wanted to say…. You could've just let me be anytime at all but you…you were nice enough to help me out when I was…well…uh… what I mean to say is… thanks."

"No problem kid. I'm just happy to help."

She held out her hand, feeling her ears go red when the Captain shook it, giving her a small but sympathetic smile.

Damn did he really have to be such a nice guy? And did he really need to have such a nice friendly smile?

"I guess this is goodbye then. It was…uh…nice meeting you Steve-or Cap-or-"

"Steve's just fine" Steve grinned as he let go of her hand, much to her relief

"Okay then, goodbye _Steve's-just fine_ " she added, and was relieved to find herself smirking and sounding a lot less like a stammering fool.

"Goodbye Olivia. Stay safe" Steve called after her, his gaze catching Stephen's.

He wasn't sure what to make of the man. He seemed nice enough. At least the girl seemed to get along with him, but there was something about the guy that felt…powerful…uncannily powerful. A bit like Loki…but at the same time not…it was very confusing.

He shook his head out. No he was just tired, and was being stupid.

 _I should probably head back to the Tower. I'll need my sleep for tomorrow_

And with that Steve Rogers turned on his heel, acknowledging the policemen briefly, and began to jog quickly down the path of Central Park, his mind whirring as he thought.

 _That kid…doesn't she look a bit like the one Tony was talking about the other day?_

Yes…yes she did.

And with that he looked up into the heavens, just as a cloud burst overhead and cold rain began to pour down on high.

But it did not bother him. Oddly enough, this whole incident reminded him of a song he'd heard on the radio that morning.

How did it go again?

 _I don't mind spending every day. Out on your corner in the pouring rain, oh._

 _Look for the girl with the broken smile. Ask her if she wants to stay awhile_

 _And she will be loved_

 _And she will…_

 _Be loved…_

And so she was.

* * *

 _**AND WHEW! that was a whopper. over 10,300 words in one go. man that's exhausting.**_

 _ **But Yeah Via met Steve Rogers and the "Mystery Man" from before (though i think you MCU fans can probably guess who he is quite easily). Don't worry there is a reason, i've just not gotten round to telling you guys yet. and yeah, the song (She will be loved - Maroon 5) was the same one she was singing in the first chapter.**_

 _ **I thought it would be interesting to explore Stephen while he was still in that development stage of his personality transformation. I don't know but i'd rather think that whilst the whole battle with the Zealots humbled him, some of his old habits would probably be still difficult to shake, especially when he was back at the hospital. And Via's also having to face some speed bumps when it comes to trusting others, especially since she had little to no experience with being a part of a home/family was like.**_

 _ **Anyways, hope you guys enjoyed and keep reviewing for more 3 (seriously your reviews give me life to write XD)**_


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20: Strange Days Ahead**

 _Much time has passed since the battle with Kaesilius. So many things have happened both wonderful and terrible, weird and amazing. Sometimes it even astounds me how much I've experienced._

 _When I was a little girl I always dreamed of a life of adventure beyond the sewers and gutters of New York. But sometimes I can't help but wonder what might have happened had that old lady not taken me in for a cup of tea that dark and stormy night._

 _Would I have died on the streets like all the other nameless nobodies, doped up on drugs or killing people to survive? Would I have been adopted by a nice family and lived out a mundane and normal life?_

 _I guess I'll never know._

* * *

When Via opened her eyes, she was surprised to find herself on a bed.

It wasn't her hard, unforgiving cot from the orphanage. Nor was it her firm but comfortable bed from her room at Kamar-Taj.

 _I'm sleeping in a freaking marshmallow_

She groaned to herself as she heaved herself up to sit up, frowning as she looked around herself.

She seemed to be in a bedroom of some kind. The bed she was sleeping in was a four poster with black velvet curtains and blue linen and blankets that matched the overall blue and dark wooden décor.

Next to the bed was a dark bedside table with a lamp and her books whilst opposite the foot of her bed was a desk where her satchel was sitting.

Via winced as sunlight streamed in from a window to her right illuminating two doors. One was next to the desk and was opened onto a small bathroom, the other was on the wall to her left just a few feet away from where a large dark wardrobe was standing. One of its doors was open, revealing a small set of clothes which Via recognized with a jolt to be her own.

"What the?" She quietly slid out of the bed, noticing with a jolt that she was dressed in her sleep wear.

Someone had changed her. But how?...and more importantly _who_?

She quickly checked her arms and neck, and sighed with relief at the feel of her three relics sitting on her neck and arms.

 _Right…no point in staying in here. So wash up, get dressed and then investigate where the hell I am._

Quietly as she dared she crept across the room to the bathroom. It was tiny but doable with a toilet on one side, a small shower stall on the other and a sink in-between. All her toiletries had been placed on the sink, with some being stored in the cabinet behind the mirror above it.

Whoever had moved her stuff in here obviously knew her habits quite well and Via couldn't help but wonder as she brushed her teeth:

 _Did Stephen put me in here?_

But she was no sooner to answering that question for herself even as she exited the bathroom and went to the wardrobe to get dressed.

If anyone had told her she'd have more than two outfits to wear nearly a year ago she might have thought them mad. She was quick to put on her black acolyte under-tunic and pants but stopped short of putting on its matching over tunic when she caught sight of something blue in the corner of her eye.

 _I can't believe they managed to salvage that._

She felt her throat constrict a little as her eyes ghosted over the blue hooded coat and golden belted ensemble in the corner.

She reached towards it, with a roll of her eyes.

 _I suppose I should keep it, even if it is ruined. I mean my mom did make it for me after all._

But even as she pulled it out she was surprised to find it completely untarnished. No threads were out of place, no burns or blood stains. There wasn't even a trace of the large gashes she knew had been there, the markers of her injuries from the battle.

It was almost as if it were brand new.

Fingers trembling, she took the garment from the hangar, and stroked the golden clasps at the front.

How had her mother known she'd wear this? Had she had the same powers of foresight the Ancient One had? Did she know what her child would become?

And if she did…then why would she leave Via at that orphanage?

 _Maybe she didn't have a choice_

Via tried to reason in her head as she ran her hands over the sides, dusting the blue cloth off.

 _Maybe…maybe she saw something that meant she had to leave me behind…But if that's so then what was it?_

She quickly shrugged the coat over her tunic, marveling once again at how well the coat seemed to fit her in all ways…except for one.

"Ow…what the-"

Via felt around her left side, into which something small but hard was poking from inside the lining of the jacket.

With a small curse she undid the golden belt and black sash and reached inside. There she found to her surprise an inside pocket.

 _How come I never noticed this before?_

She frowned as she made to slide her hand inside the black silk only to stop as she felt something papery inside.

 _An envelope?_

Though her body was stock still her heart was hammering hard as all of a sudden, excitement and dread both bubbled to the surface of her brain.

 _Take it out –no don't take it out- but it might be important. What if it's terrible? What if it's great? What if…_

"Okay…okay" She gulped and shut her eyes, sucking in a deep breath. "You can do this, it's just one letter it can't harm you. It's-It's probably just a bill from the dry cleaner. Yeah, that's it, a really, really over-due bill which I can't pay off…because I have no money…and obviously no sanity left because I'm still talking to myself-DAMMIT"

But even as she ripped the envelope out of her coat, she knew it was no cleaning bill.

"crap" She muttered.

The stationary was too fancy. The paper of the envelope itself was a deep plum purple with very intricate Nordic-inspired decorations in the corner borders. On the back a golden wax seal had been imprinted, two dragons entwined in a circle eating each other's tails.

But what made her heart freeze, was the name written at the front of the envelope.

 _Olivia Freyja Sorenson._

She knew that handwriting. She'd seen it before, long, long ago. But back then it was from a photocopy, placed in her file at the orphanage along with the report on the condition of her arrival. The only thing left with her apart from Asmund and Brynja. A small scrap of paper that had been left with her in the mess of cloth in that cardboard box-

"Olivia?" a voice hissed and Via yelped the letter almost flying from her hands as the door opened revealing the anxious face of-

"Wong" Via sighed with relief as the librarian opened the door wider "What the fu-"

"Hey-hey! Watch your language!" Wong scowled dangerously "You might not be at Kamar Taj but manners are manners"

"Speak for yourself, haven't you ever heard of knocking?" Via folded her arms.

"I did knock. I knocked for you three times" Wong rolled his eyes but paused as he caught sight of the purple envelope in her hands. "what's that you're holding?"

"I-I don't really know" Via admitted sheepishly "It was in my coat…I…I think…"

"Via?" Wong frowned but Via waved him off and quickly tucked it back in her coat.

"It's nothing. I'll have a look at it later. Anyway what's going on? Where are we?"

"I would've thought you of all people would be able to recognize your home city." Wong smirked as he looked at the window and Via scowled as she followed his gaze towards the very familiar skyline.

"So…New York Sanctum huh? So why is all my stuff here and not at Kamar-Taj?"

"Stephen thought it might be easier to keep an eye on you after he moved in, seeing as he is now the Master here. Also…" But then Wong paused and his smirk widened.

"Also what?" Via groaned, hating the smugness of the older librarian as he gestured her to follow him out the door.

"You'll see. He's in his study, getting settled in. Between you and me he's insufferable when he's excited" Wong rolled his eyes and Via grinned.

"He's a study-hog, what can you expect? Besides it'll be nice for him to have that space to himself"

 _after having to deal with me for all those months_

She added bitterly in her head.

Wong seemed to read her thoughts for he quickly said.

"Whilst you and Stephen may have separate bedrooms and bathrooms you'll still have to share a kitchen and living area space. Both of which are located here on the second floor. On the first floor is a large dining hall which you will only use for special events and the public library where you will have a selection of books both mystical and mundane free for your perusal. There is a second private library on the top floor along with the relics, however that one is only accessible to the Master of the sanctum as it is filled with more powerful dangerous spells and information"

"Y'know if you really want to make someone not interested in looking for trouble you should not ever make a forbidden place sound so…uh…forbidden maybe"

"Perhaps, but I trust you to be a mature and reasonable enough person to not go looking for trouble" Wong raised his eyebrows at her and Via rolled her eyes.

"Argh! But I don't look for trouble. Trouble just has a bad habit of looking for me!"

"Somehow, I don't have trouble believing that" Wong smirked, snorting softly as he heard the young girl mumble mutinously under her breath as they stopped before a large wooden door.

Despite her grumbles, Via couldn't help but smirk a little as she heard the sound of someone groaning and wrestling with something.

"Argh! Get-off! I need to sort this-will you stop trying to smother me-urph!"

"The cloak of Levitation" Wong explained in response to Via's giggles. "It's usually a fickle relic, but when it finds someone it likes it gets attached _very fast_ "

"Oh man I gotta see this" Via giggled as she opened the door, only to gasp in amazement.

It was, in her opinion, exactly what a study should've been.

Dark wooden floors, polished and glowing in the light of the small baroque inspired chandeliers that hung from the ceiling. On one end of the massive space was a small alcove which was decked out in shelves of books with one wall replaced by a warm lit fireplace and several warm armchairs and a chaise lounge sitting before it in the flickering light of the flames. Right in front of Via was a large window that over looked the bustling city street below and on the other side of the room…

Via laughed at the sight that greeted her.

There, at the ornate old fashioned dark wooden desk, Doctor Stephen Strange was trying very hard to sit up in his chair, as the red Cloak of Levitation swaddled him in its hold, leaving only his head popping up from the top.

"HA! Ah-hahahahaha! Now this-this is _funny_ " Wong began to chuckle and Stephen scowled as he caught sight of the librarian and the girl that had just entered his study.

"Yes-yes, Very funny Wong. Now could you please help me-"

"I've got to get a picture of this" Wong ignored Stephen's splutters of indignation as he quickly whipped out his phone and took a snapshot.

"What do you think Via? Should I share it?" the librarian smirked to Via who was now nearly doubled over with laughter.

"Y-Yeah. I can see the headline 'Doctor Strange takes his first _baby steps_ as Master of New York Sanctum Sanctorum' ha!"

"Traitors!" Stephen growled as he finally managed to jump up onto his bound feet. With several hops he tried bouncing his way around the desk, impeded by the never-relenting grip of his overly affectionate relic that kept him swaddled up nice and tight.

He would've fallen flat on his face had the blasted cloth not quickly released him and caught him by the shoulders to right himself back on his feet, by which time Via was finally hiccupping herself back to normalcy and Wong was sliding out the door smoothly.

"I take that as my queue to leave"

"Wait-WONG!" Via called but too late. The door had just shut in her face.

"Mother fu-"

"Hey-hey! Language" Stephen snapped as he finally came level with her.

"Oh, god not you too! Language? Seriously? Do I look like a child?" Via rolled her eyes hands on her hips.

"You are fourteen years old so…yeah. You do" Stephen quirked a brow folding his arms.

Via opened her mouth, but upon finding no worthy argument shut it hastily.

Stephen also, refused to comment any further on the matter.

The silence that followed was so awkward that even crickets felt uncomfortable to break it.

They both knew what was coming next…

"So…how about we go over there and sit down" Stephen jerked his head over to where the chairs were by the fireplace.

Via nodded, doing her best to ignore the raging Spanish bulls that seemed to have started thundering up and down her gut as she followed Stephen towards the chairs.

"Well…this place seems…uh…nice…you must really like it here huh?" she coughed as she sat down in one of the chairs, trying hard to keep her eyes turned away from Stephen's gaze locked on her face shrewdly.

"Yes. I do" Stephen muttered shortly, not taking his piercing stare off the young girl.

It was a far cry from the usual plucky youth that had so often given him buck over the past few months.

Which only made him wonder…

"So…about last night-"

"What about it?" Via mumbled her eyes on her toes.

"What about it?" Stephen scoffed angrily and Via didn't need to look up to see the way his light eyes flashed "You ran away! That's what! You were injured just two days ago, and despite knowing you'd be safe back at Kamar-Taj you ran off into the blue, leaving behind everyone and anything without a care-"

"That's not true!" Via snapped feeling her eyes burn as she kept them fixed on her clenched knuckles.

"Then why did you run?"

"I-I-I don't want to talk about it"

"Don't or won't?"

"Does it matter?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I-" Stephen stopped short gulping down on his already rising temper. No. losing his cool would not solve anything.

"Olivia, I just spent my whole night looking for you. Wong and I and everyone else at Kamar Taj-okay well not _everyone_ -" he added saracstically as Via sniffed under her breath. "-but everyone who cared about you."

"No one cares. Not really" Via snorted derisively under her breath "the only reason the others were looking for me was because they now know my last name is Sorenson. If I was still just Via Summers I doubt they'd care a hoot whether I was missing or not."

"Oh God, how could you possibly think something like that is true?"

"Because that's how it's been Stephen." Via cried out looking up at him through very blue and very wet eyes "That's how it's _always_ been. No one **_cares_**. You may live in a w-world where people are-are s-selfless and good and kind but that's just fairytale. One that kids like me _never_ get. We n-never get nice families with people who love us. We never get nice normal homes, we never own have nice normal friends, we never even get the luxury of even _being normal_ to begin with." - She stuttered, cheeks flaring with slight embarrassment at her fumble - "All we get is people spitting down on us, cursin' us and-and trodden us down all day. And-and just when you think you might have a shot a-at being something more of having something nice...normal… Life shits down on you, rips you open and tosses you back out in the cold like crap in a sewer"

She sniveled, scrubbing hard at her eyes as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"You…you may have done a lot to get here Stephen. And yeah, you've made great progress from being just an asshole with a scruffy beard. But don't think for one moment that you understand what it means to have absolutely nothing. You might've lost your hands, but you still had that Christine chick and you-you threw that aside without a care. And for what? Pride?"

"Nice try Olivia" Stephen growled leaning forwards in his chair. "but if you think pushing my problems back on me is going to push me away this time, you've got another thing coming. Besides I talked to Christine now and we've worked it out so…so-Ahem! But that doesn't matter right now. The point is you still haven't told me why you ran away, when you were safe at Kamar-Taj?"

"Safe? You call being attacked by raging Zealots, having your lying ex-boyfriend and his homicidal father both try to murder you over a dozen times on the same day and being blackmailed by one of the biggest Master Jerks of the century, SAFE?"

"Whoa-whoa! Wait a minute, blackmail! Since when was someone blackmailing you?" Stephen blinked.

Via swore under her breath.

 _Great job Via, just open your big mouth right into the whole mess._

"Olivia, who's been blackmailing you?" Stephen frowned and Via chewed her lip, looking back down at the floor again as she mumbled:

"N-no one…i-I just meant…I mean when I say blackmail maybe I was just being over dramatic- it was just a small thing and-"

"It was Master Fan wasn't it?" Stephen cut across her only for his gaze to burn as something dawned on him. "He was the one filling your head with all this crap about leaving. I should've known-he was being such an ass about what happened at the meeting-What did he say?"

"I-It doesn't matter. I-I was stupid to listen to him in the first place-" Via shut her eyes, but was stopped from pinching her brow as Stephen reached out to grab her hands in his own scarred ones.

"Don't start that crap with me Olivia, it does matter. Master or no master he's not allowed to treat you like that."

"Says who? You?" Via snorted, but when she looked up she was surprised to see the blazing heat in those light eyes of his.

"Yeah I do" he stated softly gripping her hands tighter in his.

"You…you wouldn't think that way…if…if you knew…" Via felt her heart constrict in her chest and her throat choke up.

"If I knew what happened to you that night?" Stephen provided gently "Thanks for your concern. But I think I'll be the judge of how I choose to think thank you very much"

He leaned back in his chair and let go of her hands, looking at her expectantly.

Via could hear Asmund growling in the back of her head. She could only tell it was him because his growl was deeper than his sister's, who seemed to be surprisingly quiet.

Via wondered quietly to herself at this. Usually when they sensed danger, both her guardians would be growling for her to act. But even so, Asmund always was more confrontational and tended to lash out more frequently, not like Brynja who only acted out when true danger presented itself.

As the young girl pondered her guardian's actions, Doctor Stephen Strange watched her warily and silently. He wasn't sure whether she had noticed it yet, but the dragon on her left hand had faintly started to glow…much like how it had done during the fight with Mai all those weeks ago.

He opened his mouth to speak, but shut it when he saw her gulp down on a huge breath.

"Okay…" She mumbled, keeping her eyes fixed on her trembling hands. "Okay…I'll tell you what…what happened. But please…please just…" she trailed off biting on her lip as she looked up at him.

Stephen nodded silently to her, acquiescing to her unspoken request, his jaw clenching as she started telling him everything.

She spoke of her planned sleepover at Meeta's. How the Ancient One had taken her to London and showed her the room of Freyja Sorenson. Of how she received the coat and the envelope she had just found in it.

She paused at this point, glancing up at him but he just gestured quietly for her to continue. That question could be answered later. He wanted the whole story.

She sighed heavily, grateful that she could continue with her story, because quite frankly, once she started she wasn't able to stop.

She continued, explaining of how she found out about Cassian and his father Fabian Russo, before skimming briefly over the bits that Stephen already knew from their shared fights up till the time he'd been stabbed by Kaesilius's henchmen.

Stephen's scarred hands balled into such tight fists when he heard of the attempted drowning at the hands of Fabian, that he nearly cut his own palms with his nails. But with a steeling breath he calmed himself, willing himself to listen as she briefly jumped over to when she'd been taken hostage by Cassian.

He had to admit he was surprised that she would jump ahead so quickly, for he was sure she'd missed out on the conversation with the Ancient One before the fight that was missing.

 _She must want to keep that private. But why-NO! no. I should let that be. It was their last conversation and she has more than enough rights to keep that moment to herself._

He told himself as Olivia paused for a few sniffles.

"Sorry" She mumbled as Stephen handed over a tissue for her to wipe her streaming nose.

"It's alright. Now blow and take a deep breath" he grunted, wincing with disgust as she let loose a very wet blow into the small tissue.

"Thanks. Where was I?" she wiped her eyes with another tissue.

"You were captured by Fabian Russo and his… _son_." Stephen said, doing his best to keep the venom from his voice as he caught sight of Via's very stricken face.

No, it would not do to mention that _boy's_ name now. Whenever it was said aloud Via looked like she'd burst into tears, and most of the time she would.

But this time she seemed to pull herself together, though her voice was stiff and hoarse.

"When…when I woke up. F-Fabian. He…he had me cornered. He…he tried to stab me in the shoulder where Kaesilius stabbed…but he couldn't because I had patched it up with the Web of Asibikaashi. So, he…he…" She clutched at her right shoulder.

"He stabbed the other one" Stephen provided, biting down on the bubbling anger in his throat as she nodded tremulously. "Then what happened?"

"He…he beat me." Via huffed through gritted teeth. "He beat me, kicked me in both the shoulders a few times I think, and punched my face- I think I lost one of my back teeth when that happened – then somewhere along the way he knocked me out. I don't know how long I was out for but when I woke up he put his-his hands over my throat and…and…he was…"

She broke off shutting her eyes and gripping Asmund over her right wrist as he glowed again.

When next she spoke, her eyes remained shut, but tears streamed down her cheeks, hot and harsh.

"I-I don't know what came over me. I-it wasn't like what happened with Mai. That time I blacked out and I have no idea of what Asmund made me do. B-but this time my mind was clear and-and one moment I was struggling, the next I'd called Asmund to my hand and I…I stabbed him."

"Stabbed him?" Stephen felt his heart almost freeze in his chest as she blubbered down into her lap.

"I stabbed him…Asmund…m-my relic he…he can transform into any weapon I want. Usually he just turns into a staff but that time…he…he…I made him into…and I…I-I-I-I-"

She promptly burst out crying. Stephen had thought the floodgates had been open before, but what hit him next was such a tsunami of raw guilt and fear, that he no longer had to force himself to silence.

Now he just sat there stunned as she let loose a howl of misery and dropped her head to her knees.

 _One small thing…so much emotion. I know still waters run deep but…wow…_

"Um…there…there?" he gulped, reaching forwards to pat her shoulder, sighing heavily when she only sobbed harder.

"Via…Olivia…I…I don't really know how to say this but-"

"Two words, Stephen" She mumbled hoarsely through sobs. "It's not that hard. Two words and I'll be out of here. Just say, 'get out' and I'm out. You have my word-"

"Wait-hold up _get out?_ Honestly kid you and your melodramatics." Stephen shook his head, and despite himself smirked as she looked up in confusion through her streaming face. "What? You think just because you acted out of self-defense I'm going to just dump you out there is that it?"

"It wasn't just self-defense Stephen. I _killed_ someone-" she spluttered only to stop as Stephen grabbed her shoulders firmly, but gently.

"Someone who would've killed you anyway once he was done with you. Olivia, you attacked to survive and you did what you had to, to stop a madman from endangering countless others too. Do you have any idea how many people have killed other people for far less worthy causes? Do you know just how many idiots out there have killed _without remorse of any kind_ just for money, or power or because they're insane and enjoy it-"

"That's the thing Stephen I did enjoy it-"

"Yes, you did. But not because you're some crazy psycho like Russo" Stephen steamrolled over the top of her grimacing a little as he said: "And whilst I personally don't like thinking about it, at some level all us people are animals, it's in our deepest nature to fight to survive. And that's all you did. You fought to survive. And there's nothing wrong with that. Now come here."

Via wasn't quite sure what happened next. All she knew was that one minute, she was sitting down and crying. The next she was standing with her cheek squashed almost painfully against blue robes and the chain of the Eye of Agamotto.

"Who…who are you and what have you done to Doctor Stephen Strange?" She mumbled as she felt a pair of warm arms wrap themselves awkwardly around her. One draped itself over her back and shoulders while the other rested over the top and back of her head, patting down her gold curls.

Stephen allowed himself a chuckle as he patted her back gently. But even as he tried to pull away he felt a small pair of hands grab tight at his tunic and cling tight.

He stayed quiet, allowing himself the time to observe the young girl as she leaned her head against his ribcage, her breaths quickly falling in sync with his heartbeats. It was such a child-like thing to do, he couldn't help but note as he watched her calm down. But then again…she wasn't too far off from being a child…and with the way she clung to him he wouldn't have been surprised if this was the first time she'd ever been held like this.

The thought made his stomach churn uncomfortably with guilt. Of all the people in the world she could've hugged with such affection, it had to be him. A broken man with broken hands, who was usually terrible when it came to dealing with kids. If the universe had been a kind place she should've been living in a nice suburban home, with loving parents, maybe even siblings and cousins. She'd be going to normal school surrounded by other friends her age, maybe even have a boyfriend or girlfriend (one who wasn't secretly the traitorous child of a psycho sorcerer), gone to normal school and be young, stupid and fantasizing over those stupid abhorrid boy bands, or whatever crap was popular these days.

But no matter how much he tried to rationalize it in his head, it all boiled down to the same argument.

Would he trade this damaged but warm-hearted, cynical but bright girl off for a normal stupid kid?

The answer was very simple.

"Olivia…if someone wanted to adopt you right now…what would you say?"

Olivia tore herself off him and looked him full in the face. Even through the mess of tears, streaming nose and bedraggled hair, he could still discern a shrewd calculating look in those blue eyes as they scanned his face and contemplated their owners next answer.

"That…that would depend on who wanted to adopt me…" She finally said after a very long pause, one eyebrow quirked, then she snorted:

"Why? _You_ wanna adopt me or something?"

But even as she chuckled derisively, she caught his eye and her smirk dropped from her face like a stone.

"Crap…You…aren't joking…are you?"

Stephen quirked a brow back at her.

She swore under her breath, running a hand over her hair.

"Shit…wow…you really aren't shitting me aren't you?"

"No. I'm not" Stephen smirked only to gasp in surprise as the young girl in front of him, suddenly fainted from shock.

* * *

 _Yep…that's right…I fainted._

 _Which is very funny because I'm not really a fainter…unless I've been badly hurt or do an extra long dream walk._

 _But can you really blame me? I had practically confessed to a murder and here that idiot was talking about adopting me two seconds later I mean-seriously, you'd faint too._

 _Thankfully when I woke up next, Stephen was smart enough to break the news a little more carefully (because for some reason his offer didn't seem to really sink in the first time). I will admit a part of me was a little scared. After all, the past few times someone tried to adopt me didn't turn out quite as planned._

 _As I told you before, the first couple changed their mind and decided they didn't want me at the last second. The second single man died around the time of the Battle of New York, and the last jackass who tried adopting me was a creep who I promptly ran away from the first second I got._

 _But unlike the others, I knew Stephen, I'd lived with him for almost a year, so it wasn't like anything would really change…unless you counted the fact that by becoming his ward I'd in turn get to live in the giant mansion of a Sanctum Sanctorum in perhaps one of the trendiest neighborhoods of Manhattan island. Talk about a change in scenery._

 _Of course, I said yes, but even so, a part of me was still a little relieved when he said it would still take a bit of time getting the paperwork signed. I guess a part of me (the cynical 12 year old from the streets) was still trying to be careful and keep an ear out for danger, which as usual, didn't follow too far behind wherever I went._

* * *

Via sighed softly as she looked up at the tall bookshelf.

She was in the Kamar-Taj Library, returning her now very overdue books to their usual shelves. But no matter how long she stood and stared up at the rows of books that surrounded her, she could not shake off the feeling of being out of place.

In the months, she had been living at Kamar-Taj, the library had quickly become her own little haven away from all the drama and hassles of her life. If she was feeling out of sorts, or wanted to just be alone, she could always come in here, curl up in a corner with a book and no one would come bother her.

However, now after the battle with Kaesilius and the Russo's, Via could not have felt more different. No longer was she just an orphan off the streets with nothing to her name. Now she was supposedly the missing heir to a powerful line of sorcerers bearing three powerful relics and the soon-to-be ward of one of the most powerful sorcerers in the world.

"What the hell happened to me?" she muttered stroking the spine of the book she had just slid back into place.

"Was that rhetorical? Or were you really wondering about your non-existent sanity?" a voice drawled from her right.

Via looked up and blinked in surprise at the black haired, green eyed girl in red standing at the end of the row of shelves.

"Mai?"

"It's Fan to you Summers, or Sorenson or whatever you call yourself" Mai Fan muttered, flicking her dark bangs out of her eyes. "Don't think just because you saved me gives you the right to address me with such familiarity"

"Right…" Via rolled her eyes turning back to the shelf.

Mai folded her arms.

"I see you decided to come back. A bold move considering the rumor going around"

"And what rumor is that?" Via asked coldly.

But even as she glanced sidelong at the other girl, Via saw her bristle uncomfortably as she mumbled:

"That you killed Cassian's dad and that's why he went off the deep end. But that can't be true-" – Mai snorted derisively - "You try to act so tough but you don't have it in you to kill"

"I think you're overestimating my character" Via smirked, but to Mai's growing discomfort the sound was unnaturally hollow and bitter.

"So it is true…" She stared at Via, green eyes filled with a mixture of fear and awe. "You did kill him"

"In self-defense…but yeah…I killed him" Via stated coldly. There was no point denying it now. Despite the comforting assurances of her safety and security Stephen had given to her back at the Sanctuary, Via knew it was only a matter of time before everyone else found out. She might as well come clean early, and deal with the flack sooner rather than later.

She watched as Mai fumbled around silently for something to say, rolling her eyes as the other girl failed to even get a splutter out.

"Girl chill, it's not like I'm going to snap and go all psychotic murder spree right at this very second"

"I know that" Mai snapped waspishly cheeks pink with embarrassment. "It's just…Father said-"

"Your father says a lot of things" Via snarled, but quickly took a deep breath to still herself as she readied herself for the barrage of abuse to be hurled right at her.

"I know."

Via looked up at Mai and was surprised to see her avoiding her eye, as she nervously stepped towards her.

"Listen. Let's get one thing straight Summers." Mai coughed quietly "I know you hate me, and I know you hate my father but whatever crap goes on between us, stays between us. Despite what everyone else thinks, you and I both know we're not dumb idiots. Which is why I'm going to say this. We may have our differences, both in the past and now, but you still saved my life back at Hong Kong when you could've easily left me to die. Don't get me wrong-" Mai added with a scowl "I still think you're a conniving bitch and I hate your guts. However, I'm not someone to back out on a debt I owe. So, consider this next offer as a token of my gratitude to make us even. Since you saved my life, I will try to stop myself and my father from screwing around with whatever is going on between you and Strange. But don't think for a moment that this makes us pals, because it doesn't. I'm just repaying the debt you forced upon me."

"Fair enough" Via smirked as Mai's scowl deepened and she turned on her heel.

But before she could walk out of sight Via called out after her.

"Hey Fan!"

"What Summers?" Mai snapped back over her shoulder and Via's smirk widened wickedly.

"You're welcome"

"Twit" Mai muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes as she stalked off around a bend of books and shelves, passing by Wong as he made his way back up towards Via.

"Hey Wong. Did you finish with the books?"

"All back in their spots" Wong nodded, eyes narrowing on Mais back as it disappeared in the maze that was the library.

"Fan wanted to talk to me in private" Via explained in answer to the librarian's quirked brow.

"What did she want?" he asked suspiciously.

"A truce. Since I apparently saved her life, she figured we could…well…have some form of peace between us. But when I say peace it's more like don't talk to me and I won't be a bitch at you kinda deal."

Wong's brow shot up in surprise.

"I see…that is most odd. I seem to recall her father yelling at her saying she wasn't supposed to have any contact with you whatsoever."

"Mai is not her father, just as I am not my mom" Via shrugged "If she wants a truce that's fine with me, besides we're old enough to figure this shit out on our own without stupid supposed adults meddling"

"I guess you have a point there" the corners of Wong's mouth twitched upwards for a split second. Then it was gone, replaced by his usual stern countenance.

"Come, we must go back. It's time both you and Stephen finally settle into your new home"

"But-But I was gonna go and quickly see Meeta and Arty-" Via began but Wong shook his head and whilst his face was calm, his eyes were sad and sympathetic.

"I'm sorry but you'll have to wait till after the funeral tomorrow to go see them"

"Why after the funeral?" Via frowned.

"Because there are a few important matters to be addressed between you, Stephen and the other masters about your future"

"I thought I was going to live with Stephen. He did say he wanted to adopt me-"

"We know. But this isn't about that."

"Then what is it?"

"You'll have to wait and see Olivia."

"Ugh…why do all you adults always call me Olivia?"

"Um…Because it is your name." Wong's brow rose high. "And I personally do not understand your disdain for it. Olivia is a perfectly nice, sensible name-"

"Oh yeah, because I'm _so_ nice and sensible" Via rolled her eyes.

"And on that note, I must ask, why do you insist upon calling yourself Via?"

"Because it's short and easy to remember, and I got stuck with it." Via mumbled her eyes flickering down to her toes.

"Well then, I suppose you should get used to it being unstuck, because most of the people here at Kamar-Taj are going to be using your full name a lot now that they know who you are." Wong gestured towards the end of a row of books which led straight towards the circular globe room.

Through a crack in its door, Via could see Stephen shrugging off the Cloak of Levitation from his shoulders. Via watched as the cloak moved away with a strange sort of reluctance to hover somewhere behind the doctor at a safe but comfortable distance.

For some reason Via could not fathom, she had the oddest feeling that the Cloak itself was…well female. She couldn't tell how but even though it looked to be a unisex garment, it just had a feminine aura when it came to its sentience and actions.

There was a glint of green as both Via and Wong stepped into the room, and the former noticed that the Eye of Agamotto was sitting back on its plinth in its holder, docile and quiet.

"Wise choice. Don't worry. You'll get to wear the Eye of Agamotto. Once you've mastered its powers." Wong nodded in amusement at the slightly disappointed look on Stephen's face. "Until then best not to walk the streets wearing an infinity stone"

"A what?" Stephen blinked and Wong rolled his eyes.

"You might have a gift for the mystic arts but you still have much to learn"

"We all do" Via interjected as she came to stand between the two men, joining them as they looked at the hovering glowing globe that spun above their heads in the domed ceiling.

"The funeral's tomorrow" Via muttered quietly. "What do we do afterwards?"

"The news of the Ancient One's death will spread throughout the multiverse." Wong stated "Earth has no Sorcerer Supreme to defend it we must be ready"

"We will be" Stephen nodded patting Via on the shoulder as he made to follow Wong out the magic doorway that had just opened back onto the New York Sanctum Sanctorum, the cloak of levitation swishing back to settle about his shoulders as he did so.

But Via hesitated, her eyes fixed on the eye of Agamotto.

Was it just her or was it humming faintly?

 _Olivia…_

A voice whispered into the air. A soft voice, the voice of a woman's. Via knew it from somewhere…No wait! It was the voice that had spoken to her the first time she'd been hurtled back in time to save Mai. It was the voice that had said nothing was impossible…

 _Olivia…_

The voice whispered in the air, the stone in the center of the eye glowing faintly green.

She could feel something in her gut pull her forwards. Something innate…something deep in her core was singing out to the relic on the plinth, and was being dragged along by a strong invisible rope.

She reached out her hand towards the Eye, one lone finger barely scraping the tip of the metal-

"Olivia!" a voice called and Via stopped in her tracks.

"Olivia what are you doing? We gotta go!" Stephen's tired annoyed voice cut through the air and Via shook her head.

"Coming Doc!" She called and quickly she strode away, not noticing the faint glimmer of the eye of Agamotto, flicker, as if the eye itself were blinking.

* * *

 _Eyes are very important things. What they see gives us an overview on what is to come in life._

 _However sometimes not seeing something is just as important, if not more so._

 _For it is the stuff we do not see, that tends to be surprisingly significant at the best and worst of times._

 _And then of course there are things that you have seen that you don't ever want to see to begin with, or things you can't see that you aren't sure you ever want to see to begin with…like the letter in my jacket pocket…_

* * *

"Stephen"

Stephen Strange looked up from the broken watch he'd been admiring in the sunlight of the large circular window before him. Though the glass was fractured it was an oddly beautiful thing.

Unlike his scars.

He flexed his hand, wincing slightly as it shook uncontrollably with the effort.

Then a shadow fell over it.

He looked up and saw Via standing beside him, her blue eyes wells of worry.

"You okay? You look a little rattled"

"I'm fine" the corners of Stephen's mouth twitched upwards.

"Honestly." He added when she looked at him disbelievingly "I'm alright. I was just flexing my hand out again that's all"

"It still can't go far can it" she mumbled and when Stephen shook his head she sighed. "God I've been a selfish idiot. Here I've been crying my eyes out like a brat for these past few days while you've been getting everything else dumped on you. I'm sorry Stephen I should've been more-"

"Olivia." Stephen steamrolled over her a hand gently holding onto hers. "I'm fine. I really am. I'm just need to get a few good night sleeps that's all"

Via looked like she wanted to argue, but upon catching the weary look on the Doctor's face she caved.

"okay fine. But seriously Stephen, if there's anything-"

"If there's anything, you will know. Believe me you will know"

"Alright then." Via nodded before turning to look down out of the window and into the Manhattan street below.

"Who'd have thought that just on the other side of that door…is all _that_!" she frowned as she watched people below striding over the pedestrian footpath, each focused on only themselves and their singular tasks.

"And who'd have thought that under all that sass and attitude we'd find you" Stephen snorted and Via huffed.

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing bad" Stephen rolled his eyes irritably as he muttered under his breath "Honestly Olivia, do you always have to be so defensive about everything?"

"Sorry" Via sighed running a hand through her curls as she looked back out the window again. "It's just-after so long of being treated like shit, I'm still not used to people saying nice things to me. It's weird."

"Oh, don't worry you'll get used to it" Stephen smirked "And speaking of weird, why do you insist upon shortening your name all the time?"

"God, you and Wong-peas in a ruddy pod" Via growled.

"Oh, come on it's a perfectly reasonable question" Stephen quirked a brow "I mean, what's wrong with being called Olivia? It's a perfectly nice name-"

"Yeah, sure. A nice name for a nice girl." Via grunted "But I'm not _nice_ girl, am I?"

"Oh, don't start the tough street kid act with me" Stephen snorted. "We both know that's not true. So, come on out with it, why do you call yourself Via?"

"Why should it matter to you?"

"Uh, because if I'm going to be adopting you I need to know what name I'm going to be signing for"

"You won't need me to tell you that because you'll have my file b-"

"Then why don't you just tell me and spare us both the wait?" Stephen barked over the top of her.

"You aren't going to back down till you figure it out huh?" Via scowled.

His smirk just widened.

"Fine" she sighed, folding her arms tight around her.

"Back at the orphanage there was another Olivia. She was older than me by a couple of years; tall, very pretty, dark brown hair and skin, warm brown eyes that could melt snow and everyone liked her…not like me." - she added softly - "No one could stand me. I used to get into trouble standing up to Bill and Milly and got punished a lot, so the other kids used to try to ignore me so they wouldn't get the same treatment. And it used to piss me off because whenever someone called out Olivia and I'd come running…they'd be disappointed it wasn't her, the other Olivia. So, I shortened my name down to Via, figuring it'd just be easier for people to remember who I was even if they didn't like me…" she cleared her throat. "so, I started calling myself Via and…well, I guess I just got stuck with it..."

"Oh…I see…" Stephen muttered, feeling his gut do an unpleasant turn.

He'd always thought Via shortened her name to just sound cool. But he'd never guessed it would stem from something like this…

But even as he felt the guilt trickle in, so did he feel anger simmer deep down. So many times, he'd heard Via talk about her mistreatment back at that orphanage, and every time he marveled at how calm and serene about it she could be.

"I don't know how you do it" he sighed and Via looked up at him in surprise. "How you can stand there and talk about all that horrible crap that happened to you with such a straight face?"

"Because it _happened_ " Via shrugged. "it's all happened in the past. And now I'm here, in the present talking to you as I stand on the top floor of one of this magnificent Sanctum. Yeah, a lot of shit has gone down recently and I'm sad about it but I'm also alive and…I'm clean, well fed, got a roof over my head (hey that rhymed) and I've got the chance to make something of myself. So, it's not like it's all been for nothing."

There was a silence as both Stephen and Via looked back out of the window and down to the street below.

Finally, after a full minute of silent staring Stephen said softly:

"You mentioned earlier that your mother left you a letter"

"Yes" Via shut her eyes, lips pursed as she shifted uncomfortably on her feet "But I haven't opened it yet."

"Why not?" Stephen's brow furrowed deeply.

"I dunno…I guess…" Via gulped "I guess I'm just nervous. I mean, in just two days I've gone from orphaned street-rat to orphaned-last-surviving-heir-to-an-ancient-mystic-bloodline. What if I read that letter and I find out something that's really terrible?"

"But what if it wasn't terrible?" Stephen put a firm but comforting hand on her shoulder. "What if it explained everything? Gave you answers? You could finally find out where you came from. And you could finally figure out what happened to your mother"

"I-I know…it's just…" Via bit her lip as she sucked in a deep breath. "Alright…I guess it's worth a shot."

With trembling fingers she reached into her blue coat's inner pocket and pulled out the purple envelope.

"Expensive stationary" Stephen muttered as he caught sight of the golden accents and the golden seal with two entwined dragons on the back.

"I think it's supposed to be the Sorenson crest" Via muttered "Wong said that most of the old mystic families have a family crest."

"af vísdómi er máttr" he read out loud.

"What?" Via blinked as she turned the envelope over.

"That's what it says on the crest. It's in Old Norse. It means something along the lines of 'From wisdom comes might' or something along those lines."

"Since when can you read ancient Norse?" Via stared up at him in amazement.

"I've only just started learning" Stephen shrugged. "Now come on open it up"

"Alright. Asmund" Via muttered and at once her right hand glowed a faint gold as Asmund materialized as a tiny dagger.

The sight made Via's stomach churn, but with a big gulp she swallowed the lump in her throat down, and cut the envelope open.

The paper inside was white, crisp and clean, just like the cursive handwriting it bore in black ink.

 _Dearest Olivia,_

 _If you are reading this then that means I am departed from this life, and that you in the care of Neala, or as you might call her, the Ancient One._

 _Had the Fates been kinder I would've been with you to guide you through the future challenges you must make, but given what I know and what I've foreseen, I must put my faith in Neala and the worthy guardian she chooses for you to carry on in my stead._

 _I know you must be burning with so many questions but unfortunately my time is limited. They are coming for me, and I must keep them distracted long enough to buy you enough time to leave safely for Kamar-Taj._

 _If you wish to find the truth, you must first labor twice as hard to find Alphard and Minchir. They will show you the way to your father. It is with him you will find the answers you seek._

 _I'm sorry I can't say any more now but the enemy has eyes and ears everywhere, and should one of them find this note, everything I've done to keep you and our clan's secrets safe will be all for nothing. Beware the shadow walker Fabian Russo. His heart that was once pure is now black with vengeance and he will stop at nothing till our line is destroyed._

 _Even now as I write I feel them coming, they are breaking through the protective shield. Please forgive me for not being able to say more. These brief moments I have held you in my arms have been the happiest in my life, and I hope that you will live a life that is happier still._

 _Never forget that no matter where you go or no matter how far you wander, I love you more than life itself and I will always be with you._

 _Farewell Olivia._

 _All my love, Your mother,_

 _Freyja Ingrid Sorenson_

"Olivia?"

Via stared down at the letter in her shaking hands. Her heart felt like it was going to burst from her chest as her eyes burned hot and wet.

"Olivia…"

She felt something warm grip her shoulder gently.

"I'm okay." She reached up and patted Stephan's hand gingerly as he gave her a soft reassuring squeeze. "She loves me…she said she loves me…"

"Of course, she did, how could she not she's your mother after all" Stephen murmured, swallowing down hard on the small lump in his throat as he re-read the letter from over Via's shoulder.

"Looks like I've got a lot of work to do if I'm going to meet her expectations if I am to be a _worthy_ guardian for you" he added and this time he was victorious as she sniffled and gave a small smile.

"You're good enough. But…but what do you think she means? Who are Alphard and Minchir?"

"I don't know" Stephen admitted softly. "But we'll find them, and your birth father…I promise"

" _We_?" Via quirked a brow at him as she pocketed the letter and its envelope back into her coat. Stephen snorted.

"Of course, if you think I'm going to let you just run off on your own you can think again. God knows you're enough of a magnet for trouble as it stands"

"Oh-ho-ho!" she chuckled turning to face him her hands on her hips. "Isn't that a bit rich considering YOU'RE the biggest trouble magnet of them all Doc?"

"Don't get started on me kid-" he began.

But even as the squabble continued, the effect was ruined by the small smiles on both Sorcerer and Apprentice as the two of them walked back down the stairs and away from the circular window, though which sunlight had started to peek through the last of rainclouds…along with a clear blue sky.

* * *

"Hey would you look at that, it's finally stopped raining."

"Seriously Tony, you called me up here in the middle of training to talk about the weather?"

"Come on Cap look at how beautiful it is out there. Hey, come on grab a drink and we'll sit on the balcony instead"

"Tony I said-"

"What do you want? I got some good scotch back here-"

"Tony-"

"Or how about some Juice-"

"Tony! Just -argh! - just get me water alright."

"Okay, okay. Water it is then. So where was I, I mean before I almost forgot to be a good host?"

"*sigh* you were talking about that kid, Olivia Summers"

"Oh, yeah. So, you remember when you guys told me to drop the investigation on her because you thought I was acting a little bit stalker-ish?"

"A little bit? You launched a full-on investigation after seeing her once in a Shawarma shop for ten minutes-"

"Well I didn't stop"

"I know you didn't"

"What how?"

"Because one, I know you. And two because I overheard Jarvis giving you an update barely two days ago!"

"Yeah well this next update just beat that old update out the window. Turns out someone's going to adopt her, a certain Do-"

"Doctor Stephen Strange"

"…how on earth did you know that?"

"I saw him that night I found her. He came to pick her up. She said he was her legal guardian"

"Not that night he wasn't. But now he's asking for her files and adoption application forms."

"So, what's wrong with that? She's an orphan and he wants to take her in."

"That's the thing Steve. I've met Stephen Strange. He used to come to all those big fancy talks and dinners, and act like such a stuck-up, arrogant selfish a-hole-"

"You two must've gotten along _swimmingly_ "

"Ha-ha very funny. The point is that man was in no way child friendly, and now after crashing himself in a car and vanishing off the face of the earth for over a year, he just appears out of the blue to adopt a girl that is the daughter of one of SHIELD's most famous MIA operatives. That _can't_ be just a _coincidence_ "

"….maybe. But come on. Weirder things have happened by chance. I mean look at me. SHIELD could've looked in a million places in that ice and yet they found me barely a month before the Battle of New York-"

"That was different, SHIELD was already looking for the Tesseract at that time. Finding you just so happened to be the happy accident of a cherry on top of their sundae."

"Tony. Just give it a rest. So what if this girl is the daughter of another Shield agent, and so what if her new guardian's a jerk? I saw them both together and the two of them seemed comfortable with one another. Maybe it's for the best that we leave them alone."

"You say that…But Natasha said that Freyja Sorenson was a unique agent with unusual _abilities,_ and that they sent her in for missions of the unnatural variety – her words not mine. What if the kid has those abilities? She could be in danger, or worse she could be dangerous."

"She didn't seem dangerous to me."

"Only because she batted those baby blues up at you when you played hero, to her damsel in distress. No offence"

"None taken because she didn't bat her _baby-blues_ at me at all. And I don't _play the hero_ "

"Whatever, the point is the sooner we find out if she's a threat or not the sooner we can find out more about Loki's scepter"

"Loki's scepter? What the hell does Olivia Summers have to do with the Scepter"

"I don't know. But…But I have this gut feeling that they're somehow linked, and I know it just won't go away until we know why."

"You mean when _you_ know why?"

"Tomatoes, to-mah-toes. But when I do find out where that kid is at you're coming with me"

"What! Why?"

"Because she knows you. Plus out of all of us you're the least likely to scare the living pants off her, apart from Bruce but I don't think he'd be that interested-"

"Translation you already asked him but he's said no"

"Yes."

"And what about Natasha or Clint. They used to be with SHIELD. Or Thor, he's always nice with the kids"

"I thought about that but if my hunch is right about her, the kid might not know about her mother being a part of SHIELD. Having Nat or Clint there might be overwhelming, and Thor…that would just be awkward…"

"Right and having you there bombarding her with information won't?"

"It will, that's why I need you. You've met her, you've talked to her, she'll be more comfortable around you"

"I doubt it, she wasn't exactly comfortable with me the first time"

"But at least she knows you. Plus, with you tagging along, it gives me a better excuse to be there"

"It does?"

"Yeah. You can say you were worried about what happened that night and that you wanted to check up on her and see if she was okay."

"*sighs* you really are not going to give this up are you?"

"Nope."

"why?"

"Like I said, I feel she's important to what's going to come"

"So basically, we're stalking a random teenager down because you have some obscure hunch that she'll be important to finding Loki's scepter?"

"I prefer to call it tracking down an unusual lead that may or may not lead us to finding a powerful mystical weapon."

"…okay. Let's just suppose I decide to tag along. Where on earth would we start looking for this kid? I mean if what your investigation says is true, she was reported missing from her orphanage two years ago and this Doctor Strange guy doesn't seem to have a registered address either"

"I know. But two days ago Jarvis found some ctv footage of her and Strange running out from some building down on Bleecker Street literally two days before you found her in Central Park. I know it seems a bit of a long shot but at least it's a start."

"…You're going to keep pestering me till I say yes aren't you?"

"Yep"

"*Sigh* Fine. I'll go with you. But I still think it'll be a waste of time"

"Trust me Cap, it will be far from a waste of time. You mark my words"

* * *

 _ **And here we are at the end of the movie. FINALLY! but on a more serious note I'm happy to announce that in a couple of chapters this fanfic will end. but don't worry the story will continue on in a sequel. I havn't gotten a name yet, and the story is still in the early planning stages but it will be going up hopefully by the middle of the year (roughly around July/August).**_

 _ **yep it was a tough choice, but given the direction you can see my story is going to take, it technically has to be in the Doctor Strange/Avengers crossover category.**_

 ** _So i hope you enjoy the rest of this fic and review if you want more or what you would like to see in the sequel._**

 ** _Cheers and a belated "may the Forth be with you"_**

 ** _Fuzzy Beeta_**


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21: Promises, Promises**

 _Now even though I had never been to a funeral before, it didn't take me long to figure out the should and shouldn't do's that you need to know. Too bad that I had to find a few things out the hard way._

 _For starters, there are two things that people never tell you about attending funerals._

 _Number one, never expect a warm welcome…_

* * *

"You ready?"

"Yeah…I'm ready. You?"

"Ready"

Stephen Strange and Olivia "Via" Summers-Sorenson both sucked in large breaths as they looked upon the mystical doorway that opened before them.

Beyond it they could see the eye of Agamotto sitting peacefully atop its plinth in the large grey circular globe room of the Kamar Taj Library. Around it three figures stood in waiting.

Master Peter Percival of the London Sanctum Sanctorum, dressed all in black robes. Likewise Master Yasu Matsuyama of the Hong Kong Sanctum wore a black Kimono. Wong meanwhile was dressed in a black version of his usual red tunic and robes.

Via gulped suddenly feeling self-conscious as she looked over hers and Stephen's appearances.

Stephen was dressed mostly in black, having used a spell to change the colour of his clothes, all save the scarlet Cloak of Levitation which seemed to be less active than usual as it draped sadly over his shoulders.

Via meanwhile was wearing her mother's Blue coat again over the top of her black training gear, her hair tied back in a neat braided bun held up with a black pin.

"Master Strange. Miss Sorenson" Percival greeted solemnly.

"Master Percival" Stephen nodded respectfully to the two masters, Via following suit. "Is everything set to go?"

"All ready" Master Matsuyama said, her gaze softening on Via's worn out face. "We'll hold the ceremony in the upper courtyard, she always liked the view from there"

Stephen nodded and silently he Via and Wong all made to follow the other Masters out of the Library and out into the halls. There they saw sorcerers, apprentices, adepts and Acolytes all walking about trying to get in position fast, though their faces were silent and somber. Most of them wore plain black, but there were some, like Meeta and her family, who wore plain white, with little to no adornments.

When Via passed her friend, she was surprised to find herself caught quite swiftly into a tight hug. She was glad when Stephen nodded quietly as he left her to go speak with the other Masters who walked ahead of them.

"You idiot, you had us worried sick" Meeta whispered fiercely into her ear.

"I know…I'm sorry" Via sighed as she pulled back. "How are you? How's Arty?"

"I'm okay. I've been staying back home with mom and my sisters for the past week. Arty's with his parents over there" she pointed to a far corner of the courtyard they had just walked into.

And sure enough, there in a corner, Arthur Carson stood, his face stricken and weary as he stood in a black suit talking to a strong stocky man who greatly resembled him and a tall black clad brown haired woman with freckles all over her slightly round face

She looked up, watching Via and Meeta warily as they approached, only for her blue eyes, so much like her son's, to widen as she looked Via over.

"Tristan" she reached out and patted her husband on the arm.

"Hey Em, hey Vee" Arthur smiled weakly as he turned around to hug both girls who hugged him back tightly.

"We're so sorry for your loss Polly" Meeta addressed Mrs Polly Carson who nodded kindly.

"And for yours too my dear. I'm so sorry you've all had to live through such a horrible thing. Cassian was such a dear boy. We can only hope that wherever he is he is safe and will come back to us when his heart is healed"

 _Even only hoping is sorely pushing it._

Via thought savagely, but kept her trap shut as Arthur made to introduce her.

"Mum, Dad, this is Olivia Summers. My friend I was telling you about"

"It's nice to finally meet you both." Via shook both Polly and Tristan's hands.

"It's nice to finally meet you as well." The latter eyed Via curiously "Goodness, when I heard Freyja's daughter had been found, I almost couldn't believe my ears. But seeing you here, forgive me, you just look so much like her."

"Yeah…I've been getting that a lot" Via nodded dryly.

"We were good friends with your mother" Polly piped in, reaching out to give her hand a squeeze. "she and I grew up together at the London Sanctum and we trained together here at Kamar-Taj. When we heard, she'd vanished all those years ago-" She wiped a tear from her eye. "Sorry-I guess I'm just so happy to see you here and whole."

"Excuse me Master Carson, Mrs Carson" a voice piped in and they all turned to see a younger acolyte gulp nervously at them. "Master Percival would like to talk to you both before the wake"

"Of course, we'll be right there" Tristan nodded as Polly gave Via's hand a tight squeeze.

"We'll talk later Olivia. I look forward to getting to know my best friend's daughter and her new guardian too if we can snatch him from that crowd"

"Oh, he shouldn't be too hard to find" Meeta smirked, her eyes brightening ever so slightly "Just make Vee faint and he comes rushing out like a mother hen protecting her eggs"

"Ha-ha very funny" Via rolled her eyes, though she too couldn't help but smile as Meeta, Polly and Tristan giggled, the latter two quickly bustling off to find the other Masters.

"Wow…" Arthur looked at Via. "Wow…my mom and your mom were-"

"I know" Via shook her head "Weird huh?"

"I'll say" but his wonder was quick to vanish as he sighed heavily.

"Arty…I'm….I'm sorry about Cass" Via mumbled as she turned to face the ground, biting her lip hard as her chest constricted uncomfortably. "I know you guys were close-"

"It's not your fault" Arthur pinched his forehead to stem a couple of tears. "If anything, It's-It's probably mine. Cass was…he was in a dark place and I couldn't help him"

"Whoa, hey, hey, Art stop, you can't blame yourself for that" Meeta reached out and gripped his shoulder "I know you guys were close but Cass made his choice. And you and I both know once he sets his mind to something he won't budge that easily. If he wants to strike out on his own, it's not because it's your fault or anyone's fault, besides its not like that rumor is true-"

"Rumor? What rumor?" Via blinked and Meeta stiffened at once under Arthur's withering 'stop talking' glare.

"Um…nothing…just a stupid rumor Fan and her father started about-well it doesn't matter" but Meeta's blush betrayed her.

"You mean the one about me and Cassian's dad?" Via rolled her eyes.

"You know?" Meeta and Arthur gaped at her.

"Know? My dear boy she was there when it happened" a voice drawled and Via glared over her shoulder at Master Fan as he stalked past their little group, only to stop as he came level with Via.

"So you actually managed to worm your way back here." He glowered down on her.

"And you actually managed to become an even bigger asshole" Via muttered, Asmund and Brynja's growls filling her head.

Behind her she could feel Arthur and Meeta stiffen, the latter's hands twitching in readiness to grab her own trembling fists.

Master Fan smirked as he caught sight of them.

"I see your dear Doctor has yet to silence your sharp tongue"

"This is between you and me old man, don't push it." Via snapped, not even caring to keep her voice down as a couple of people around them turned to look at both her and the older Master.

Let them stare. All they'd see would be her facing down this old geezer once and for all.

"So much anger for one so small." He sneered "I wonder, just how berserk were you gutted Fabian Russo?"

"Shut up" Via growled through gritted teeth but Master Fan continued ruthlessly.

"I guess I should really be commending you. _Killing_ a master sorcerer is no mean feat, but then again the Sorenson's were always so high above us all in many ways. It must really be a come down for you to be looked after by such a poor excuse for a master-"

"SHUT UP!" Via spat, roughly shrugging off both her friends' arms as she stood toe to toe with the master.

"Listen buster, call me whatever you want. A murderer, a brat whatever. I don't effing care, because hey I've heard worse. But don't you dare, don't you _DARE_ drag my friends into this."

"Or what? You'll kill me too? My, my what a cold-blooded killer you are. I'm surprised you're bold enough to show your face here." Master Fan scoffed mockingly, not even blinking as the young girl's golden bracelets began to glow brightly.

But despite her fury, Via held onto that last bit of control, breathing hard as she forced her hands to remain by her side as she took a step back and hissed.

"I've said it once, I'll say it again. You can call yourself a master. You can gloat over my shame till kingdom come. But that still doesn't stop you from being a pathetic cowardly asshole"

There were gasps, and even one guffaw as she spat in his face, her saliva hitting him dead in the eye.

"Why you-"

Via didn't even flinch as he raised his hand to strike only to cry out in alarm as something red obscured her vision. But it wasn't the red of anger. It was the red of cloth.

"What the?" Master Fan spluttered only to jump back as the red Cloak of Levitation it flared itself out frill-like in his face, it's hovering form looming over him menacingly. Via had to admit, for a piece of cloth it was quite terrifying when mad.

"Hey! What is going on here?" a voice called, and Via turned to see it was Stephen storming his way through the crowd. But before he could reach them Master Fan snarled.

"Why don't you ask your _brat_ to explain? I'm sure she won't mind pulling the wool over your eyes once again."

The glare Stephen fixed Master Fan was so chilled even Via shivered a little.

When he spoke, every syllable seemed to be as sharp as glass.

"If you are quite finished accosting my ward Fan then get lost. Master Matsuyama wants a word, so I suggest you hurry. She seems rather angry and it wouldn't do to keep her waiting, unless you want my cloak to escort you?"

The Cloak loomed, if possible even higher, its hems reaching out like a pair of menacing cloth tentacles much to Master Fan's growing discomfort.

"No thank you Master Strange. I can see myself off" he bristled, wiping his eye of the last of Via's spit as he stalked away, but not before chancing a dark glare to the young girl who quietly stuck up the middle finger at him from behind Stephen's back.

She quickly hid it away as Stephen turned back to face her.

"Don't bother hiding I saw it already" he sighed as he shouldered on the Cloak again.

Via's cheeks splashed pink as he quirked a brow at her.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah…I'm okay" Via turned around to face her friends. Meeta was still looking rather anxious but Arthur was looking down to the ground, unable to meet her eyes.

"Arty?" Via stepped forward but Arthur took a step back, holding a hand up to stop her, still looking at the ground.

"I'm sorry. I-I just. I need some-I'm going to find my parents. I'll…I'll see you later…" and before Via could say another word he dashed into the crowd.

* * *

 _That was another thing people never tell you about._

 _Don't go blasting off to your best friend that you killed your ex-boyfriends father, especially when best friend and ex-boyfriend are childhood friends._

 _Yeah…I royally screwed that last one up with Master Fan, didn't I._

 _Anyways the funeral wasn't too bad afterwards._

 _Everyone gathered for the wake, or viewing, or whatever they call it. Of course, it being the Ancient One's funeral it was a big deal and there were a lot of people lining up to look upon her one last time when they brought her out. Most of them only stayed a couple of minutes each at most, and quickly filed down to stand back down in the lower courtyard._

 _But I didn't line up. I'd already said goodbye to the Ancient One before she died, and it felt a bit selfish that I should get the chance to do it a second time when so many hadn't done so already._

 _So, you can imagine my surprise when Stephen all but dragged me to stand beside him up on the upper courtyard with the other high ranking masters and other such people the Ancient One trusted._

 _He had said it was what the Ancient One had wanted, but I couldn't help but wonder if Stephen didn't just want a hand to hold as we stood there watching the cremation go ahead. He certainly held on very tight, I think I nearly lost feeling in my hand for a few minutes. But I let him hold it. He'd done so much for me in the past few months, I owed him that much at the very least._

 _If any of the master's thought it odd, no-one commented. Even Master Fan seemed quiet as he stood a few feet away from us, wiping a tear from his eye._

 _I must admit, it's amazing how even a man like him can be moved by grief._

 _I guess when we die we all end up in the same boat._

 _Three hours later, and Neala's remains were deposited by magic into an urn. It was a simple container, made of white clay and decorated in golden paints and a glaze. Simple but nice._

 _But all the same it gave me the chills. Inside that urn was what was left of one of my greatest teachers…needless to say I was glad when the ceremony finally ended and I didn't have to look at it anymore._

 _Out of all those allowed up in the ceremony, I was the only one underage. Needless to say people stared and whispered as I quietly followed Stephen back down into the building along with the other masters._

 _If only they knew what was going to come next, oh boy, would they have stories to tell for the next hundred years._

* * *

"Huh?" Via blinked. She was standing in the globe room next to the eye of Agamotto.

Around her, Stephen, Wong and the other two masters of the other sanctums stood there along with Master Tristan Carson, Arthur's father.

"It was he who shared a smirk with a slightly amused Percival as he said:

"The Ancient One has asked in her will that any of the remaining estate she was granted as per your mother's will, should be given to you as the rightful heir of the Sorenson line"

"No I got that, but what do you mean _estate_?" Via spluttered.

"It means assets, both sentimental and monetary" Stephen drawled as he read over the piece of paper in his hands. It was the Ancient One's will, and the sight of it made his stomach churn uncomfortably as he continued reading down the page.

"It also says that she leaves the New York Sanctum most of her private collection of tomes and spell books."

"It's so you may continue your studies, Doctor Strange" Master Matsuyama bobbed her head gently. "the Ancient One must have had grand plans for your future education. The last person she ever gave that many ancient texts to study was dear Freyja"

"But Freyja was her heir" Stephen snorted and Wong rolled his eyes.

"And now you obviously are too"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Stephen spluttered and Percival sighed heavily.

"It means the Ancient One obviously wanted you to take her place someday as Sorcerer Supreme. Otherwise she'd never give you so much access to such knowledge." He glanced up at Stephen carefully examining his face "I can only assume she has been planning this for some time or else it wouldn't be in her will"

"Yeah…she was" Via spoke up and all the adults turned to face her in surprise.

"When…when I spoke with her for the last time…just before she died-" Via mumbled, looking down at the stone floor "Neala-I-I mean the Ancient One, she…she said that Stephen was to become the next Sorcerer Supreme after her and that I was to stay behind and keep his nose out of trouble."

"And yet you ran away? Despite your promise." Matsuyama frowned.

"Only because Master Fan threatened to have her kicked out for killing Russo" Wong stated and Via flinched.

"So, it is true then…about what happened to Russo" Percival breathed staring at Via with pity.

"Is this why my son was upset earlier?" Tristan asked swiftly and Via nodded her head silently.

"It wasn't her fault." Stephen countered just as quickly before anyone could open their mouths "Russo was trying to torture and kill her, if she hadn't defended herself-"

"There's no need to get defensive Doctor, we understand" Matsuyama put up a placating hand as Tristan stroked his chin.

"I guess that explains why Cassian doesn't want to return…but even so…if Russo was as corrupted as you say then it was bound to happen sooner or later. I hate to admit it, I care for Cassian as if he were one of my own, but when such a dark seed has been planted-"

"-it's only a matter of time before it manifests somehow." Wong finished gravely. "It was unfortunate we couldn't uncover the truth earlier when the boy was younger"

"No. It was our big mistake not investigating into what happened all those years ago when Russo and Freyja both first disappeared. Not once did any of us ever question that Russo was alive" Percival sighed "We just assumed that he was dead like Freyja, and as such we have paid dearly for our complacency."

"If that's the case then isn't it possible that my mom is alive too? I mean, hypothetically of course" Via added hope dawning in her eyes "I mean, Russo himself said that my mother was injured last time he saw her. He never said she was dead"

"Perhaps but Olivia, remember the letter she sent you-" Stephen forced down the horrible ache as he saw the hope shine in those blue eyes. "She said if you were reading this then she'd be long gone"

"I know…but the way she wrote it was…well" Via chewed her lip "It sounded as if she'd written it just in case something did happen. I mean yeah it did sound like someone was coming to get her but what if she escaped-"

"If she did then why would she leave you at that orphanage?" Wong asked swiftly but Via was ready.

"Maybe she had to leave me behind. Maybe it was too difficult or-or dangerous to take me wherever she needed to go." Via said but Wong shook his head again

"Then why did you get sent to the orphanage instead of here like the letter asked?"

"I don't know maybe she had to change plans. Maybe she couldn't get me to Kamar-taj at that time…Maybe I was supposed to be at the orphanage before coming here"

"You're suggesting that she foresaw the future and saw what would happen to you and made arrangements?" Master Matsuyama narrowed her eyes.

"it's possible isn't it?" Via said pleadingly looking up at Stephen earnestly for some backup.

"I-I" he felt his ears go a bit red as all eyes turned on him, but he quickly schooled himself into his professional bedside manner.

"I think both ideas are equally likely to have happened. And if that's the case then I personally think it's worth investigating. But Olivia, if you do want to find out what happened you might have to accept that your mother…that she might be…gone…or worse…" he trailed off and Via was surprised by the sincerity and worry in his gaze.

"I know." She nodded quietly. "But whatever. We can talk about this later. The point is that, Neala's gone and the Earth needs a new Sorcerer Supreme fast before another big catastrophe happens."

"Which means I need to start my training." Stephen sighed again, rubbing his forehead.

"In that case, you'll have our support as well as most of the other Masters. Sans Master Fan of course" Master Mastuyama bowed slightly and Percival, Tristan and Wong all nodded solemnly.

"Yes the sooner we can train a new Sorcerer Supreme the sooner we can reseal the world against outside threats that are sure to come" Percival smiled.

"Speaking of threats has there been any intel on Mordo?" Stephen asked and Via nodded vigorously.

"Not quite." Tristan shook his head softly. "We believe he might've returned to his family's castle in Sokovia. One of our Relic Hunters investigating close to the area claimed to have spotted him at a distance three days ago but there have been no other recent sightings"

"Wait-wait! Mordo has a castle in Sokovia? Since when?" Via laughed.

"Didn't you know?" Percival raised his eyebrows "Mordo is descended from Sokovian and Wakandan aristocracy. Whilst he doesn't keep any connection with the latter, he still holds his grandfather's Sokovian title as Baron, as well as all his estate"

"…wow…" Stephen blinked in shock. "that's just…wow…I knew he acted like he was prim and proper sometimes but _Aristocracy_?"

"He was rather ashamed of his roots" Master Matsuyama explained sadly "His grandfather was a cruel man, who forced him into a life of dark sorcery from a young age. But when he was a teenager, the Ancient One got wind of the Baron's actions and took Mordo in under her wing. Then after Freyja disappeared he became the Ancient One's right hand."

"Oh…wow…" Via and Stephen both glanced at one another.

It explained a lot Via realized. The closeness with Neala, how Mordo was always unafraid to question her when he thought something wrong. How patient the Ancient One could be when he was impatient…how hurt Mordo felt when he discovered the horrifying truth.

 _And now she's gone…so there's no one left for him to turn to…_

 _He could've turned to you or Stephen._

A voice in her head, her own inner voice she realized, spat bitterly.

 _He was fond of you and Stephen, everyone says it. So why couldn't he confide in either of you?_

 _Because we were his students. He wanted to look strong in front of us. He didn't want people seeing his weaknesses…a bit like me…_

Via sighed as she listened to the voices of everyone else in the room fade away into a monotonous drone. She couldn't help but keep thinking about Mordo, of the hard life he'd never told, of the pain he must undoubtedly be facing alone. The thought of him on its own made her heart ache. But unlike Cassian the hurt was different. With Cassian there was anger and betrayal and the need to punch something, but with Mordo the hurt was different. Seeing his back disappear into the crowd as he walked away, leaving her, leaving everything behind…that made the familiar ache of loneliness creep back into that hole in her chest and widen it just a little.

She watched on through a daze as the conversation veered away from Stephen's upcoming training as Sorcerer Supreme and back onto her inheritance.

But Via didn't care. She'd lived without money or stuff before, she could live without. Who cared if she owned a whole heap of stuff now? It wasn't like it could bring anyone she cared about back.

She remained in a daze all through the large dinner they served in the Kamar Taj dining hall. The Ancient One's chair at the Master's table was empty, and cold meats were being served instead of hot.

There was much chatter as people tried to gain a semblance of normalcy, though Via felt no pressure to engage in much conversation with Meeta and her three younger sisters. It helped that the youngest, Shanti, was such a motor mouth. Via barely had to say a word other than the usual acknowledgements you could give an excitable five-year-old.

Once or twice she glanced up at the Master's table and saw Stephen talking in depth with a couple of the masters, Percival was introducing him to.

On the other side of the room she could see Arthur talking quietly with his father, who glanced up quickly caught Via's eye and gave a reassuring nod.

Despite herself, the corners of Via's mouth twitched upwards as she nodded in thanks. She was about to turn back to her meal when someone caught her eye from her peripheral vision.

She wheeled around quickly, almost slapping Meeta in the face with her fork.

"Ow what the-Vee?" Meeta jumped and her sisters all giggled.

But Via wasn't listening.

Maybe it was a trick of the light, or maybe it was just the moving crowd, but she could've sworn she had seen-

"Vee. Via hello!"

"Sorry Meeta. Thought I saw something" Via gulped as she turned back to her food unaware of the figure that quickly stepped away from the dining hall and out of sight.

* * *

 _Another thing I forgot to mention about Funerals…never assume that someone isn't coming. Grief makes people do the oddest of things at the oddest of times…coming to pay your respects even though you feel hurt by the dearly departed is but one of them…_

* * *

Baron Karl Mordo looked down on upon the deserted courtyard as the ceremonial sorcerers made to deposit the ashes into an ornate clay urn from the burnt slab in their midst.

It was oddly ironic, he thought. That all that should remain of one of the longest living human beings on the planet should become nothing but ash in the end.

Ironic but also fitting, he supposed. However, it was not out of anger or hurt.

Despite her deception and power, the Ancient One was a humble woman at heart with simple loves. She loved tea, she loved watching the sun set over Kamar-Taj. She loved long walks through the mountains. She loved watching and training young acolytes and watching them grow.

And he had loved her, as a child would love its mother and as a student would love their teacher.

Mordo sighed as he continued to watch the ending of the ceremony, hidden from his spot on his master's old balcony. He could see Stephen amidst the masters, holding the hand of a young blonde woman who stood beside him. Though she was half hidden behind the doctor, Mordo could tell from the brief glimpse of her profile that she was calm and impassive despite her pain. She seemed to return Stephen's sentiment, and gripped his hand back in return as the older man allowed himself a tear or two of grief.

Mordo wondered at this. As far as he knew Stephen had not engaged in any relationship with any woman since coming to Kamar-Taj. Not only that, but the Stephen Strange he knew wasn't someone who openly displayed such fragility in front of anyone. It was an oddly touching sight.

However, it wasn't until both Stephen and his companion made to follow the other Masters off the upper courtyard that he saw Via's face.

He felt himself smile a little as he beheld the strength of the young girl as she walked amongst the masters. What had once been a scared nervous child, was now a young woman, strong and stoic. Yes, the battle had changed her, made her tougher more sure of herself. Yes, she would grieve, and yes she would still have much to learn. But the seeds for strength and greatness had been set, all she needed now was someone to guide her.

Stephen too had changed. He always had the inner strength, he just needed to divert it onto a worthy goal. And whilst Mordo was disgusted the man would direct his energies to protecting the Ancient One's mystical order, he was at least comforted by the fact that he had found a family of sorts to keep him somewhat grounded.

 _That is why you set them up together…they both wanted the same thing. They just didn't realize it till the battle._

Mordo kept his eyes fixed on the pair's faces. Even though they were both still very green to this life of sorcery both Via and Stephen looked like they belonged in that crowd of powerful men and women.

Not like Mordo himself.

No.

His days of walking amongst such _great_ people were over. But even so…despite the burning anger in the depths of his gut, couldn't help but feel proud of both his old charges…even if they were now his enemies.

 _Enemies…_ he felt a stab of sadness as he watched the blonde and brown-grey-streaked heads of hair disappear into the building below.

 _That's right…they are now my enemies. As is everyone in this courtyard._

But if they were his enemies, then why did he feel compelled to stay and keep watch over them in this event.

He supposed he still felt some emotional ties to this place.

 _I did almost grow up here after all…_

He mused as he walked around the empty hallways. It had barely been a week since he had left the order, and what had once been a home filled with warmth and comfort now felt sinister and foreboding.

Or was that because of the shadow he felt behind him?

With a swift sweep of his arm a spell burst forth and hit the figure behind him, which grunted as it solidified from a mass of dark smoke revealing a rugged but handsome face with brown hair and warm brown eyes.

"Cassian?" Mordo gasped in surprise as the teenage boy stood to his feet panting.

"Hello Master Mordo."

"I am no longer your master, Cassian" Mordo said softly as Cassian fixed him with a glare.

"Oh right, let me guess, because of what Vee said I'm now banished from the order?"

"That and I myself am in exile."

There was a pause as Cassian looked on him in astonishment.

"Oh…" he finally said scratching his head and Mordo nodded gravely.

"Yes…I too have left the order following the battle"

"Then why are you here?"

"To pay my respects of course. The Ancient One may have deceived me, but she was still my master for many years. It would be a dishonor to not at least attend her funeral. And you?"

"Same here" Cassian looked down to the ground. "And also I wanted to check on Arty. I may not like being here…but he's still my best friend…or at least he was..."

There was the faintest of warbling sounds and Cassian quickly clutched at his stomach cursing.

Despite the previous tenseness, Mordo found himself chuckling a little as he addressed the boy before him.

"When was the last time you ate?"

"Not since the morning after the battle" Cassian grumbled and then added bitterly "Via was right, it is hard trying to find food with no money or magic"

Mordo didn't say anything. How could he? On the one hand, he could understand the boy's pain and anger, on the other he couldn't deny a small part of him still cared for the girl.

So instead he chose to examine the youth before him closely.

Cassian's clothes had not changed from those black robes or the Veil of Enenra since that battle, but they did look worn and he did seem to smell a little and his brown locks were starting to look a little bit grimy. The boy even had the beginnings of a five o'clock shadow along his jaw.

"Come, we must not linger here." Mordo hissed as he made to open a sling ring portal against a wall. "The feast will be ending soon and people will want to get back to their rooms"

Cassian stared at him, brown eyes wide.

"Wait what? You want me to come with you?"

"Do you have anywhere else you need to be?" Mordo quirked a brow, slightly amused as Cassian shook his head and slowly stepped through the portal after him and into a dark forest that spread down the massive slopes of a mountain and down into a deep valley.

"W-Where are we?" Cassian shivered, pulling the Veil of Enenra around him as Mordo shut the gateway behind them both.

"Sokovia. My homeland" Mordo sighed, breathing in the fresh clean mountain air. Such a calming space, he could feel his anger clearing a little as he turned to face the younger man. "Isn't it beautiful?"

"Yeah…I guess. I mean it's pretty dark to see much." Cassian shrugged as he looked around, only to shut his eyes with embarrassment as his stomach growled again.

"Damn"

"Do not worry. We can sort that out quickly. Now follow me. We don't have much time, Percival's relic hunters are lurking about and we don't want them on our tails"

"Right…of course sir." Cassian nodded as he quickly strode after Mordo's form as it vanished into the trees and into the darkness.

* * *

 _By the time we got back to the Sanctum, it was already night. We'd eaten our fill and worn ourselves out with the funeral._

 _But even after having baths and getting dressed for bed both Stephen and I still couldn't quite get to sleep. So we decided to stay up and test the Sanctum's home entertainment system in the common room lounge._

 _I have to admit I've never actually had the chance to watch TV on a couch before. Oh yeah sure the orphanage had a TV, but it was old and we all had to crowd around it on the floor to see anything while all the "grown-ups" sat in the available chairs and controlled whatever we saw._

 _But this was different. Now I was sitting in a place I called home, in a chair with someone who for once let me have control over the remote._

* * *

 _It was a refreshing change to have control over something for once in my life._

"What on earth are we watching?" Stephen drawled from where he leaned back into the couch, his feet propped up on the edge of the coffee table in front of them.

"no idea. Just some crap quiz show" Via sighed as she curled up on the other end of the couch, tucking her white socked feet in under herself as she shivered a little.

Then she felt something warm and red drape itself over her.

"Hmm, she likes you" Stephen smirked as Via stroked the Cloak of Levitation's collar as it tried nuzzling against her cheek.

"She's like a really flat big cat. Except I don't have to worry about claws or fur ah…" Via sighed as the cloak finally settled itself to calmly and comfortably over her lap.

"What's that you're reading?" she asked, glancing at the very thick and large book Stephen had in his hands.

"One of the books from the Library upstairs. It's all about illusion type magic."

"Sounds cool" Via reclined back into her spot. "Do you want me to turn the volume down or-"

"No, I'm fine with this" Stephen muttered as he licked his thumb and turned a page.

Via smiled and turned back to face the television.

There was something about sitting like this that was nice. It was like that time they'd eaten take out in the room back at Kamar-Taj. Maybe it was because she'd been starved of normal human contact for so many years, but there was just something so incredibly nice about being able to just sit and be next to someone and just be.

"Olivia?"

"Yeah?" Via peered up at Stephen who was peering curiously at her from over the top of the tome.

"About what happened with your friend Arthur-"

"Yeah?"

"Just…just give him time. He'll come around when he's had some time to think about it"

"Yeah…I know" Via sighed and then before she could stop herself she huffed- "It's just-argh! Why does Master Fan hate me so much? I mean yeah I might've once nearly strangled Mai, but we've both reached a truce now but still-"

"It's because of your mother and I" Stephen cut across her gently as his eyes scanned the book in his hands "Master Matsuyama told me all about it. Your mother was the Ancient One's favorite, tipped off to be her successor from a young age. Master Fan was jealous and tried his best to to knock her off her perch, but ended up failing and getting his career pushed back a fair few years. He tried to get his act back together and worm his way up the ladder. But then when he saw you come to Kamar-Taj and he was reminded of his own past failings, so he tried to get rid of you or at least damage your reputation and make it hard for either of us to move ahead. And now after the whole debacle with Kaesilius I was given the position of Sanctum Master, a position Master Fan has been after for some years. He's getting jumpy, so he thought to weaken me he'd get you to leave."

"No…" Via smirked.

"Pardon?" Stephen frowned at her as he lowered the book.

"Me leaving wouldn't have _weakened_ you Stephen. It doesn't matter who you care about, but you thinking and feeling like you'd failed and let someone down, _that's_ what would've drop-kicked you in the emotional balls."

"And you figure this out how?"

"Because I know you." She stated simply, looking him directly in the eye. "And I know you hate failure. Or at least you did…until Dormammu"

"Yes I've been meaning to ask, how did you know about all that?" Stephen narrowed his eyes and Via flushed pink as she stroked the cloak again.

"I was dream walking. Just after you flew off to go into the Dark Dimension I lost consciousness, and I was dragged into another dream walk. Through the dream dimension I was somehow able to see into the dark dimension. I don't know how"

"It's because people who dream walk use the cracks in the dark dimension to reach the dream dimension" Stephen explained quickly, sucking in a deep breath "So I take it you saw everything then? My bargain…Dormammu"

Via looked back up at him and he was alarmed to see her expression was a mixture of disgust and sadness.

"You turned inside out" she gulped down the lump in her throat. "Seriously he flipped your innards outward, bones, organs the works and then he ripped you apart limb from limb. It was disgusting."

"I'll try not to do that again" Stephen smirked and was pleased to see her snort derisively.

"You better not or I'll finish you off myself"

They both chuckled, Via hiccupping as she quickly tried to right herself.

"But seriously Stephen…don't. I mean…oh god how do I say this…" she ran a hand through her loose curls, "I know I probably don't have the right to ask you this but just…just promise me this one thing."

"What is it?" Stephen turned to face her, putting his book down beside him to fully assess her as she murmured.

"Stephen…I know you said you wanted to adopt me. But let's face it. I'm fourteen nearly fifteen. It won't be long till I'm a legal adult…which means…which means at some point in the coming years we're going to go on separate paths, and maybe one of those paths might be permanent in its end. I-I guess what I'm trying to ask is…when the time comes…no matter what happens…promise me we'll at least say goodbye before we part ways."

"Olivia I…" but Stephen paused, his voice sticking in his throat. He had meant to reassure her, promise her that such an event would never come to pass. But even as the thoughts crossed his mind, he thought of the Ancient One and of Mordo. Of how fleeting their time with the both had been, even if one was still alive that didn't reduce the hurt of being left behind.

He reached out and touched Via's hand.

"I promise"

"Thank you" Via gripped his fingers tight before turning back to look at the screen.

Stephen followed suit, his hands fumbling as he made to settle back into his book.

And they sat like that until the very next morning.

* * *

Wong stared at the scene before him, his smirk growing wider by the second.

There was Stephen Strange, reclined with is feet up on the coffee table. In his lap a book lay open with one hand tracing its pages, the other one draped over his front to keep his chest warm. And there right next to him, Olivia Summers was curled up cat like against his side, snuggling the side of her snoring face into his shoulder as his head rested on top of hers. Above the two of them, the Cloak of Levitation had placed itself over them both, covering their bodies and engulfing them in a sea of red.

Wong winced as he turned off the television and Via let loose a piggy like grunt in her sleep.

 _How does he sleep with that noise in his ears?_

He marveled as Stephen barely moved an inch from where he lay, mouth hanging open slightly as he drooled a little.

 _Now that does deserve a picture._

The Librarian quickly took a few steps back and took out his phone. In a few seconds, he snapped a shot and shared it to his select few trusted friends with the caption:

 _"_ _Day One at NY Sanctum Sanctorum – Dr. Stephen Strange, future sorcerer supreme and Olivia Summers, Spider sorceress in training."_

He smirked to himself as all those on the private messaging channel quickly clicked the like button, only to jump a little as he heard the doorbell ring.

"Who could it be now?" He muttered to himself as he quickly checked over his new charges. But they were still dead to the world even as the doorbell rang again, and again.

Quickly he strode downstairs, straightening out his maroon tunic and pants as he approached the door and looked through the keyhole.

 _Odd…I don't know these two._

The librarian frowned as he quietly prepped a spell on his fingers, ready to strike even as he carefully opened the door and peered outside.

There were two men standing there. One was tall, well built, blonde haired blue eyed and wearing T-shirt, jeans and a brown leather jacket. The other man was slightly shorter, with dark hair, a matching Goatee, a pair of obnoxious sunglasses, an ACDC shirt with a black jacket and pants and patent leather shoes.

"Can I help you?" Wong frowned and the man with the goatee shifted his sunglasses down to reveal a pair of very shrewd brown eyes.

"Well I guess that depends" The brunette smirked smugly "We were wondering if we could talk to a certain Doctor Stephen Strange."

"And why do you think I'd let you in to talk to him so early in the morning?" Wong's scowl darkened.

"I'm Tony Stark and this is my associate Captain Steve Rogers. And we need his help"

"Avengers…great" Wong rolled his eyes to himself looking up towards the heavens.

Barely one day after her funeral and already he was certain the Ancient One's ghost was throwing curveballs their way.

 _You just can't help yourself up there, can you?_

* * *

 **And there we have it. The end. Well it is the technical keeping with the MCU's infamous format i'll be posting up some "Post-credits" scenes, teasers for what will come next, so stay in tune.**

 **I know i'm a terrible human being for ending on a cliffhanger but...well i was going to say i feel guilty, but in fact i don't feel that guilty really:P.**

 ** _I just can't help myself_ when it comes to ending on cliffhangers, they are one of my guilty pleasures as a writer.**

 **I decided to fudge a bit of Mordo's backstory here, since the MCU hasn't really revealed much about his past. I know from the comics that he was a Baron from Transylvania and did have an evil grandfather. However, since Transylvania doesn't seem to be on the MCU map so far, i changed the country of origin to Sokovia, with a bit of Wakanda thrown in there (i don't know why, it just seemed to make sense in my head at the time:P)**

 **Hope you enjoyed and review for ideas of what you would like to see in the next installment of Via's and Stephen's adventures. I won't say much save it will involve a lot of avengers so feel free to go nuts with your ideas! I won't say goodbye just yet, i'll leave that for the next Post-credits which should be coming up within this week.**

 **Cheers and happy reading**

 **Fuzzybeta**


	22. A Marvelous Ending - Post Credits & Q&A

**Chapter 22: The MARVELOUS Post Credit scenes**

Here it is ladies and gents, the post-credit scenes. Or in this case spoilers/teasers for what might come next in the next installment of Via and Stephen's journey. They are in no particular order and as a last disclaimer – No sorcerers were harmed during the writing of this fanfiction. (sorry couldn't resist)

So, sit back and enjoy.

P.S. these ARE NOT written in any sort of chronological order, so feel free to read them in whatever way you want. (beginning to end, upside down, right to left you name it)

* * *

 **New York (Earth)**

Wong frowned as he quietly prepped a spell on his fingers, ready to strike even as he carefully opened the door and peered outside the Sanctum Doors.

There were two men standing there. One was tall, well built, blonde haired blue eyed and wearing T-shirt, jeans and a brown leather jacket. The other man was slightly shorter, with dark hair, a matching Goatee, a pair of obnoxious sunglasses, an ACDC shirt with a black jacket and pants and patent leather shoes.

"Can I help you?" Wong frowned and the man with the goatee shifted his sunglasses down to reveal a pair of very shrewd brown eyes.

"Well I guess that depends" The brunette smirked smugly "We were wondering if we could talk to a certain Doctor Stephen Strange."

"And why do you think I'd let you in to talk to him so early in the morning?" Wong's scowl darkened.

"I'm Tony Stark and this is my associate Captain Steve Rogers. And we need his help"

"Avengers…great" Wong rolled his eyes to himself looking up towards the heavens.

Barely one day after her funeral and already he was certain the Ancient One's ghost was throwing curveballs their way.

 _You just can't help yourself up there, can you?_

"So…can we come in?" Tony gulped only to grunt as he was elbowed in the ribs by Steve.

"If Doctor Strange is unavailable we can come by another time" the super soldier bobbed his head politely. "How about tomorrow. Would tomorrow be alright"

"Maybe" Wong stated.

There was a very sticky pause.

"Right…so I guess we'll be going then" Steve made to turn to leave but Tony didn't move a muscle as he looked the librarian over, eyeing his red tunic and pants with mild interest.

"Can I help you?" Wong grunted irritably and Tony raised his eyebrows.

"Uh…yeah. We told you who we were but you didn't once mention your name"

"…It's Wong" Wong stated stiffly, feeling an odd sense of déjà vu wash over him as Tony Stark smirked amusedly.

"Just Wong?...what are you like, Eminem, Beyoncé, Sting, Cher-"

And just like that the door to the New York Sanctum was slammed in his face.

"Tony" Steve rolled his eyes in exasperation as Tony stared bewildered at the door.

"What, I was just asking-"

Meanwhile behind the door, Wong scowled darkly.

 _Tony Stark and Stephen Strange. Two peas in a freaking pod._

* * *

 **New York (Earth)**

The man with the dark scraggly hair and thick winter gear, shifted his cap on his head as he walked through Bleeker Street.

He didn't know why he was there or what he was doing. He'd decided this would be his last day in New York before he had to leave the country, he could've gone anywhere he wanted. But no. For some peculiar reason, he'd decided to stalk down this street and keep watch on the tall building with the weird circular window at the top.

He looked up at it curiously, admiring the four curves that crisscrossed over the top of it.

It was an odd building to be sure, for it was far older than most of the other buildings on the street.

 _I should get a move on._

But as he made to turn away, something old caught the corner of his eye.

Looking back he was astonished to see someone standing by the circular window, looking down.

He froze.

It was her. It was the girl he'd seen at central park. The girl he had saved from those pathetic excuses for human beings.

But she was dressed differently. Her golden locks were tied back and she was wearing a strange blue coat over black pants with a golden belt.

She looked rather calm and stoic as she watched the street below, blue eyes tracing the footsteps of all who passed her domain with a shrewdness that beyond what a normal teenager should have.

Th man marveled at this as he drank in as much detail of her as he could from his position…that was until her blue eyes met his.

 _Shit!_

He swore as he saw her eyes widen with recognition and her body back away from the window.

Quickly he scrambled away dashing past a couple of people with their shopping till he turned into the alleyway beside the strange building peering around the edge of a leaning wooden crate as the front door opened. He quickly slid back as her foot stepped through, catching a glimpse of her anxious face.

Yes it was her. It was her. And yet something was different…more mature.

"Olivia! Olivia what's going on? Who's there?" a voice called from within the building loudly and the girl turned around to face someone inside.

"No one Doc, just picking up the post" she called as she turned to face an old delivery man who strode up to her.

"Ah, good morning Olivia" he smiled "and how are you this fine lovely morning?"

"Good Morning Mister Lee. I'm fine thanks. And yourself" the girl smiled back, a warm expression that made the old man's cheeks blush a little.

"It's Stan to you dear, and I'm doing great!" the man, Stan winked at her much to her amusement as he pulled out a small parcel from his rucksack "here, I've got this here for you to sign for. It's from a mister…mister, Tony Stank?" he held up a brown paper wrapped package which the girl signed for giggling under her breath.

"Oh man I've got to remember that one. Thanks Stan" she called as the old man made to walk away back to the delivery van behind him.

"Any time sweetheart, any time. Come on Bruce, hit the gas, this post won't deliver itself. Excelsior!"

The girl giggled as she waved goodbye to the delivery man and his fellow driver as they sped up and drove away.

 _Olivia…_

The man around the corner watched her as the girl, still chuckling to herself, entered back into the building, his eyes fixed on her till the door shut and obscured her completely from view.

 _Her name is Olivia_.

He chanced another glance at the door only to wince as he felt the something sharp slice against his gloved hand.

Quickly he snapped it back, cursing at the sight that greeted him.

What had once been a whole black glove now had a slice from where a nail had snagged from the crate beside him.

"Damn" the man cursed as he slid the ruined glove off, revealing a gleaming silver hand.

* * *

 **Knowhere (half way across the galaxy)**

A strange man with white hair, brown skin and strange brown eyes looked up from his examination of a small animal in a glass box.

"Carina...what was that?"

"What was what sir?" a woman with bubble gum pink skin and dark red hair peered around the corner of a large transparent box in which a giant blue butterfly was fluttering around a small enclosure of vegetation.

The man from before paused as he straightened up his stance. He was sure he had just felt it...a surge of power...a strong power he had not felt in a long time...

"It has been found" he breathed his eyes going misty for a moment with delight and wonder "...the stone...at last...it's revealed itself…but how?"

* * *

 **New York (Earth)**

The whirring of sparks flying filled the ears of the two figures that strode down the dark concrete stairs and through a door.

One was a tall dark man, the other a tall but young teenage boy who kept his head bent down as he respectfully followed his elder through the garage workshop.

Both were wearing dark hooded sweaters over casual jeans and boots. The hoods both pulled up to hide the top halves of their faces in shadow as they wound their way through heavy equipment and boxes in the half-light cast by the blow torch somewhere towards the wall farthest from the door.

There in front of a workbench, the silhouette of a person stood hunched over something in hidden by his body.

The dark man in the hood looked back to his young charge and put a hand to stop him before he could follow any further.

But even as the dark man made to move forwards, the man at the bench turned around to face him, squinting in the half light.

"Can I help you?"

"I carried you into Kamar-Taj on a stretcher. And look at you now Pangborn" the dark man said softly.

"Mordo" Pangborn breathed as, the man, Mordo stepped into the light. Behind him, the young boy shifted slightly.

"My apprentice." Mordo said softly in answer to Pangborn's silent query as he turned back to his work.

"So, what can I do for you man?"

"I've been away for many months now and I've had a revelation" Mordo said pulling back his hood to reveal his stricken face "The true purpose of the sorcerer…is to _twist_ things out of their proper shape.-"

Pangborn stiffened, his hand quietly reaching out and gripping onto small crowbar tight in a fist. It might not be much but if he could at least have the element of surprise…

Mordo kept his eyes trained on Pangborn as he continued speaking

"-stealing power. Perverting nature. Like you."

"I've stolen nothing" Pangborn shrugged, though his eyes were hard and cold "This is my power mine"

The gleam in Mordo's eyes was now a dark flame that grew as he hissed.

"Power, has a purpose"

 _NOW!_

Pangborn raised his armed hand in a swift swing, but his opponent was too quick for him.

Faster than lighting, Mordo dodged ducked and swooped in, a dark spell coating his hand as he struck it against the other man's core.

Pangborn gasped, rasping and spluttering as he felt something warm and strong leak from his body. It was like he was bleeding, only there was no cut, and the pain was not localized. Instead his whole body contorted in on itself, bones twisting and fracturing, muscles and ligaments ripping themselves back apart.

With a cry he fell to the floor, clutching desperately at the lower half of his body as the pain was quickly replaced by a horrible nothingness.

"Why…Why are you doing this?" He gasped fear making his heart and blood turn to ice in his veins.

"Because we at last can see what was wrong with the world" Mordo whispered as he towered over the terrified man. "Too many sorcerers. Cassian!"

He stood back, the gleam in his eyes bright and unnerving as he gestured towards his apprentice who finally stepped out of the shadows.

He was a handsome boy, with a light olive skinned statuesque face framed by dark brown locks and warm brown eyes. But there was something about him that made Pangborn tremble with fear as the boy raised a silver clawed hand.

And sliced down hard.

* * *

 **Unknown place (Earth)**

The bunker was dark and derelict. The cement walls were only lit by sparsely separated LED lights, making whatever shadows hitting them eerie and oddly darker than normal.

But none of this phased the tall, strong man that strode through the lights towards a red door at the far end.

When he entered, he was unperturbed by the sight of the bloodied and bruised man with short brown salt and pepper hair and rough scraggly beard, seated and bound to the chair in the center of a spotlight amidst a sea of darkness and concrete.

"Hello old sport. Miss me?" the tall man smirked, his British accent cutting through the air like a knife as he stalked up to stand in the shadows before his prey, who looked up at him through swollen, bloodshot brown eyes.

"Cornelius Craven" the man rasped, his deep southern accent recognizable despite his voice being but a breath.

"That's right" the tall man, Craven, stepped into the light, illuminating his pale white blonde locks that gleamed white as he slicked his fringe away from his dark beady eyes.

"Such stubbornness" Craven hissed as he knelt before the man before him. "all these injuries and yet you still refuse to answer our questions."

"I'd rather die than tell you or any of your little friends anything" the man in the chair spat, flecks of blood flying out onto Craven's face.

Disgusted, craven quietly wiped his face, his lip curling as he stood up to his fullest height.

"Not even if we were to tell you we've finally located that brat?"

Even from under all the blood and swellings, Craven could see that the bound man's face had paled considerably.

But it was quick to vanish under a fiery glare and a fierce struggle against his bindings.

"You'll never get your hands on her. You have no idea of what you'd be messing with if you did-"

"Which is why we are in need of your assistance" Craven leered, backing away to avoid the flailing leg of his captive as he struggled.

"I would sooner assist the devil himself then help the likes of _you-_ "

"Such a shame" he tutted "and to think you were once one of our best, most promising agents… Elias"

* * *

And that dear friends is where i finally leave you. Thank you all so much for following along with this first installation, the second part should be up around June/July-ish when my work starts settling down.

Before i sign off and hit the complete button, i'll answer a couple of questions i was asked of this fic recently.

 **#1 - When does all this take place**

 _ **i know a lot of you believe that the battle of New York took place after the events of Civil War, but honestly i'm not too sure. If anything I always thought that the events of Doctor Strange took place between Winter Soldier (CA-WS) and** **Age of Ultron (AOU)** **. I personally think this was the case because when you look at the NY skyline you can clearly see the Avengers Tower, which to me means that they're still banded together. Also it's known that one of the patients Stephen was flicking through on his phone at the time of his accident, was in fact the soldier from Hammer's failed experimental Iron-Man from Iron Man 2.**_

 ** _If you take this into consideration this places Stephen's accident around the time of Iron Man 2/1st Avengers movie, and since he spends a year or two looking for ways to repair his hands before training at Kamar Taj that means the battle with Kaesilius would have probably happened just after the events of Winter Soldier and a few months before Age of Ultron. So yeah that's my timeline_**

 ** _#2 - Who does Cassian Russo look like_**

 ** _honestly i have no idea. he just came into my head the day i wrote him down. As time went on though i sorta began to see a picture of not what he'd look like, but which actor would be best to play him. Weirdly enough i often picture him being portrayed by a young Heath Ledger, or Liam Hemsworth. I can't really explain why but i personally feel they both seem to have the right look when i picture Cassian being portrayed in live action film, even if they aren't my favorite actors (though Heath Ledger still is pretty high up on my favorites list)_**

 ** _#3 - Who does Via look like (actor wise) and what was the inspiration for her costume_**

 _ **I'd say Via would probably look a lot like a younger Even Rachel Wood but with longer, curlier blonde hair, rather like how she portrayed Dolores in the series Westworld. When i saw the series for the first time, i was still in the process of writing the first chapter of Dreamcatcher, and when i saw Wood in costume as Dolores something just clicked in my head.**_

 _ **As far as costume goes, i was generally inspired by the costumes of Mordo, Strange and the Ancient One. Mordo, for his practical warrior like style of clothing, Strange for the blue colour scheme (also symbolic of Via's affinity to him) and the Ancient One, because of her use of hoods and the colour gold. As each one had a significant influence on Via's life it seemed fitting that they should each play a part in physically defining how she'd look in the story.**_

 _ **#4 - WHO IS VIA'S BIRTH FATHER? And why was she really left behind at the orphanage?**_

 _ **Is it Elias ? Is it Tony Stark? Is it someone else we know? Yeah that's right it's still a mystery. Sorry but, i'm not telling you guys a thing! It's too juicy to reveal anything now. MUAHAHAHAHAHA! XD**_

and on that note dear readers, i thank you for your kind words and faves and follows. i cannot tell you how much some of them have just made my day.

If you have an idea for what you would like to see in the sequel just PM or post a review and i'll see what i can do (haha that rhymed.)

Anyways

Adios and till next time

FuzzyBeta


	23. SEQUEL IS UP!

Hey guys it's just me the author.

The Sequel to Dreamcatcher is up! There's only three chapters at the moment but more are on the way :)! Because it's under the Avengers/Doctor Strange crossover Category, you should be able to find it on my profile under the name:

 _ **Dreamchaser - The Return of the Relic Hunters**_

 _When Via Summers is offered a place in the new Stark Internship Program, she never thought she'd end up working with the Avengers. Between adjusting to a new home, searching for a mystical scepter, fighting secret organizations and digging into the mystery behind her birth mother's secret past, will Via crack under pressure? And what exactly is project Ultron? (rated T for safety)_

Once again thanks to all your support in writing this fic and i hope you guys enjoy reading the next one.

Cheers

FuzzyBeta


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